Although I wasn't around to see it, my Dad often made mention of how he and my Uncle Sandy harvested a field of wheat swaths on April 17 of 1952. Harvesting wheat in the spring, while not unheard of, was not a common occurrence. Poor weather conditions the previous fall had prevented them from getting the wheat combined. Sandy had a new Case pull type swather that year and had swathed the wheat in preparation for combining with Dad's almost new Case Model A pull type combine. Those two pieces of machinery represented a considerable investment in those days. Farm loans were difficult or non-existent. Sometimes the dealer would extend credit for the customers that he felt were a good risk.
Spring harvest was an adventure with the fields still wet from the melted snow. With Sandy's LA Case pulling the combine and Dad's John Deere D standing by to pull the whole outfit through the worst muddy spots when required, they got the job done.
Dad said the Thatcher wheat was still surprisingly good in quality except for colour bleaching. Very dry at 11% moisture. I guess it helped make the payments on the new machinery. This photo shows the machinery and the wooden bin for the wheat.
Sometimes, you just have to do what you have to do. Great picture!
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