October, 2009 John Frank, President ............................................... 410-531-2569 Chuck Coles, Vice President .......................................... 410-489-4717 Donna Haugh, Secretary ............................................. 410-489-4728 Doug Creswell, Treasurer ............................................ 410-489-5832 Allan Bandel, Newsletter Editor ....................................... 410-489-7875 Museum Telephone — 410-489-2345 Club web site — www.farmheritage.org ______________________________________________________________________________ President’s Report by John W. Frank What’s new at the Howard County Living Farm Heritage Museum? Well, there’s so much going on that it would take up this whole edition of The Rusted Plow to cover all of it. So, I’ll just hit the highlights. There are several construction projects that warrant mentioning: • The Main display Building to be dedicated to the late Senator James Clark finally received the final word on the sprinkler system. We will be required to install a sprinkler system in the building. So, we are moving forward with cost estimates and formalizing the system design. We are also looking into the cost of finishing the main display area floor. These two items will allow us to move into the final phase of the interior construction. Until then, we do plan to have static displays inside the building for visitors to view during 2009 Farm Heritage Days. • The Old School House is getting it’s final installation of batten boards on the exterior. When this phase is complete, all that remains will be the school bell which hopefully, will be installed within the next few months. • The Dairy Barn has received a number of new display items. Visitors walking through the barn will discover that it is now packed with a “boatload” of interesting new items to fascinate visitors. • The saw mill has received some new timbers and will soon be powered by the new diesel power unit that we acquired several years ago. This arrangement will be much better for the demonstrations and should not cause as much stress on the old saw mill as when it was powered by a tractor. The new engine will offer more needed power than any tractor that we currently have available. It will also minimize the strain on the mill that was caused by pulling the belt tight on the pulleys. • We now have over 2½ miles of completed trails that museum visitors can enjoy. The trails are open to hikers, bicyclers and horse back riders.
Rusted Plow to cover all of it. So, I’ll just hit the
highlights.
There are several construction projects that warrant
mentioning:
• The Main display Building to be dedicated to the
late Senator James Clark finally received the final
word on the sprinkler system. We will be required
to install a sprinkler system in the building. So,
we are moving forward with cost estimates and
formalizing the system design. We are also
looking into the cost of finishing the main display
area floor. These two items will allow us to move
into the final phase of the interior construction.
Until then, we do plan to have static displays
inside the building for visitors to view during 2009
Farm Heritage Days.
• The Old School House is getting it’s final
installation of batten boards on the exterior.
When this phase is complete, all that remains will
be the school bell which hopefully, will be
installed within the next few months.
• The Dairy Barn has received a number of new
display items. Visitors walking through the barn
will discover that it is now packed with a
“boatload” of interesting new items to fascinate
visitors.
• The saw mill has received some new timbers and
will soon be powered by the new diesel power
unit that we acquired several years ago. This
arrangement will be much better for the
demonstrations and should not cause as much
stress on the old saw mill as when it was
powered by a tractor. The new engine will offer
more needed power than any tractor that we
currently have available. It will also minimize the
strain on the mill that was caused by pulling the
belt tight on the pulleys.
• We now have over 2½ miles of completed trails
that museum visitors can enjoy. The trails are
open to hikers, bicyclers and horse back riders.
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A hike along the trails is not only healthy and
educational, but downright peaceful and fun with
breathtaking scenery to be observed along the
way. So, if you are looking for a way to escape
the fast pace and the daily hustle and bustle of
modern day living, just take a stroll along the
museum’s new walking trails.
Some other important “stuff”:
• We also have a number of programs being
added to our museum’s list of fun and interesting
things to do. Although 2009 Farm Heritage Days
will be history by the time that you read this, we
have expanded this year’s program to include a
number of new attractions for kids of all ages, in
the hopes of providing a family fun experience for
all visitors. I hope that all members will have
chosen to bring their historic items to display and
also to have volunteered their help in making this
year’s Farm Heritage Days the best ever.
• We’ll be hosting our first ever Haunted Hay Ride
for three weekends in October. We expect this to
be a fun and scary event. Anyone interested in
helping should contact John or Virginia Frank.
• We have partnered with Howard County
Recreation and Parks to provide our first
“Wounded Veterans Controlled Deer Hunt”. This
is expected to be a great event that will assist us
in our ongoing effort to control our deer herd at
the museum and at the same time a chance to
give a few days of sporting fun to those who have
given so much for us. We are accepting financial
contributions to help support the hunt. Any Club
member who is interested in assisting with the
controlled Deer drive or other aspects of the hunt
are encouraged to volunteer. The wounded
veterans controlled deer hunt is scheduled for
December 17 & 18. See you there.
• We have “dressed up the grounds” along the
farm lane by adding a fence and replanting trees
where some of the trees that we planted last
winter died. Some additional fence work, stump
grinding and mulching has also been
accomplished. When you add these items along
with the stone pad static displays of old farm
machinery and the excellent job of keeping the
grass so well mowed, visitors can’t help but be
impressed and pleasantly surprised with their tour
of the museum grounds.
Add all this new “stuff” to the many projects and
programs that we already offer at the Museum and
it’s easy to see that the Howard County Living Farm
Heritage Museum is very much “alive” and
continuing to grow.
One final note:
When considering the level of activity taking place at
the museum and our other activities like the displays
we had at the 2009 Howard County Fair and the
great turnout of members who helped throughout
the week, it is amazing how much we do and how
many people we touch in a positive way. We can
always use more help with the increasing number of
activities that we are involved in. I hope that
everyone who has an interest will take the “plunge”
and come out and help. For all of those members
and friends who are already involved in Club and
Museum related activities, my heartiest thanks for all
that you do.
* * * * * * * * * *
Tractors Across the USA 2009
On Saturday, June 27 , five Chamberlain tractorsth
from Australia, along with 14 adventurous men and
women, visited our museum. They were all clad in
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identical bright orange and dark blue shirts and
some of them wore knee-length short pants. And of
course some of them had on their trademark
Australian-style “outback” broad-brimmed hats to
ward off the sun’s bright rays. With tables set up
under a tent that was erected just for that purpose,
our Club hosted a hearty buffet dinner for our guests
from “down under”, then gave them a guided tour of
the museum grounds using one of our tractor-drawn
“people movers”.
Quite a few of our Club members, as well as
numerous visitors who happened to learn of the
Australians’ expected arrival and of their well-
planned, extraordinary tractor journey across the
U.S., enjoyed several hours checking out their big
orange, uniquely equipped, heavy-duty Chamberlain
tractors and visiting with these extremely friendly
people from “down under”. After spending the night
on the Museum grounds, getting acquainted with
their five recently acquired camping trailers and their
two motor homes, they headed west Sunday
morning on the old National Road.
On Monday, September 7 , the “Aussies” finallyth
ended their long and eventful journey at the Pacific
Ocean south of Los Angeles at Huntington Beach,
California. Many of us have followed their interesting
5,000 mile journey across America on-line. If you
would like to see some of their photographs and
read about their many adventures, and there were
many of them, simply check out their website:
www.transworldtractortreks.com.
* * * * * * * * * *
Farm Heritage Days
Now that the 14 Annual Farm Heritage Days hasth
ended and everything put away, we can reflect on
how successful the program was.
The Educational Days went very well. Over 450
students attended with parents, teachers and a few
siblings. A new station was added in place of the
broom making. It consisted of a short talk on
equipment safety then riding the pedal tractors
around bales of straw. The kids had a great time
riding the pedal tractors. Thank you to all of our
volunteers who helped to give these students a
great learning experience.
The weekend, weather-wise, was good. We did
have some rain on Saturday but it held out until
around 3:00 p.m. The new kid-friendly activities were
a big hit. The moon bounce was always a hub of
activity. I saw many kids walking around with their
faces painted. The scavenger hunt is always a big
hit as was the pedal tractors. This year’s sale on
Saturday was a great success and the lawn mower
races were something to see. It gives a whole new
perspective to mowing the lawn.
Our new trams (people movers) with roofs turned
out to be very helpful when the rain started. As
always, the food, music, flea market, demonstrations
and displays were great.
Once again, thank you to all of the volunteers who
helped to make this year’s Farm Heritage Days a
complete success.
__________________________________________
Farm Heritage Educational Days
by Judy Singley
At the end of the lesson on butter making it was
asked, “Do you have any questions?” These are
some of the questions:
• “What is out there on the porch?”
• “The baby carrier? We don’t use that in butter
making”.
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• “How does the milk get into the cow?” This was a
hard one. I didn’t really answer because the bell
rang.
_________________________________________
Holiday Train Garden
Mark your calendars now for our Holiday Train
Garden and Open House on December 5 & 6 and
12 & 13. We will be asking for donations of cookies
and help with the program. Look for our advertising
fliers.
_________________________________________
Preservationist of the Year Award
On Sunday, October 4 , our Club President, Johnth
Frank, received the Senator James Clark, Jr.
Lifetime Achievement Award from Preservation
Howard County in recognition of his work with the
Living Farm Heritage Museum and the Antique Farm
Machinery Club. The award was presented to John
at the Waverly Mansion during an awards ceremony.
Other Preservationist of the Year awards went to
Elkridge Assembly Rooms, Inc., Friends of Patapsco
Female Institute and Clark’s Elioak Farm/Kimco
Corporation.
Congratulations to all the recipients for their work to
preserve our county’s heritage.
_________________________________________
James Clark Main Display Building
by Phil Greenstreet
Our hopes of not having to install a sprinkler system
in the display building were dashed when the county
advised us that they had stricter regulations than the
national code. It seems that any commercial building
over 5,000 square feet needs a sprinkler system.
However they did downgrade our fire protection
needs which will require less water storage and
fewer sprinkler heads. Both of these factors will cut
down the cost of the system. The new system is
being designed now.
A temporary electric line has been run from the
Hebb house for use until we can have the electric
service put in.
There is no other new action to report at this time.
_________________________________________
Financial Report
2009 Howard County Fair
by Doug Creswell, Treasurer
The club’s net financial gain from this year’s Howard
County Fair was $2,965.37. Two income sources
provided the major amount of this income. The sale
of chances on the two toy tractors were the leading
income source at $1,446.00. Hot weather diminished
the crowds some days, but it did help with the sale
of cold drinks which brought in $810.
_________________________________________
Cake & Pie Auction Hugely Successful
by Dorothy Frank
I am extending a hearty big THANK YOU to all the
Club members, spouses, and very good friends of
the Club for their hard work baking so many
delicious pies and cakes for the annual auction that
took place during our 2009 Farm Heritage Days
festivities. You know who you are.
Without your generous help we could not have had
such an overwhelmingly successful bake sale fund
raiser on Sunday, September 27. Your willingness to
help was reflected by the fact that I didn’t have to
ask you more than once, nor did I have to remind
you. You just did the cake and pie baking, and then
delivered the goods in a timely manner.
Also, many thanks to Club member Abe McCracken
who supplied all the tomatoes for lunches.
_________________________________________
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Congratulations to Ed and Dorothy Frank
on their 60 Wedding Anniversaryth
Ed and Dorothy, two of our hardest working and
most dedicated members, were married on
September 24, 1949, just three months after
Dorothy graduated from high school in June, 1949.
Dorothy says that it’s hard to believe that they could
have celebrated the anniversary of their first 60
years together so soon. Where did all of those years
get to so quickly?
The happy, and very busy, couple decided that they
could not go out anywhere special to celebrate
because they were hard at work doing something
that they loved – working in the Howard County
Antique Farm Machinery Club’s special program for
school children during the Farm Heritage Days
Week.
To help compensate though on the big day, theirr
son and daughter-in-law surprised them by serving
all the program workers a fried chicken luncheon
with all the trimmings. For dessert, there was a
specially decorated cake celebrating their 60 years
of marriage. Dorothy says that, “In some ways, it
seems like a short time and in others a long time.”
The happy couple continue to get great satisfaction
out of working together to establish a museum. Ed
says that he has wanted a Farm Museum for at least
the last 50 years. Their open enthusiasm leaves little
doubt that they both thoroughly enjoy the work that
goes along with helping to make Howard County’s
Living Farm Heritage Museum a reality.
_________________________________________
Was Ethanol the Real “Gremlin”
in this Vintage Tractor’s Fuel Tank?
by Allan Bandel
The following story is a rather depressing account of
a series of events relating to our vintage 1959 John
Deere 630 row-crop tractor. It’s about what initially
should have been no more than a routine
maintenance procedure on the automatic fuel
shutoff assembly and how it unexpectedly turned
into a major, and costly, repair job.
Hopefully, after disregarding our ignorance of what
we should have suspected might happen all along,
and by telling this woeful tale with its outcome, our
story might ultimately help others to avoid a similar
sad experience. The question is, “Was the blended
ethanol in the only gasoline (E10) product that we
have available here today in Maryland the real
“gremlin” behind our costly problem?” If it is, then
what is the solution?
First, here’s a little background. John Deere
Waterloo-built two-cylinder tractors with gasoline
engines made during the early production months of
the first numbered series models, were equipped
with basically the same fuel system as their
“lettered” model predecessors. Shutting off the flow
of gasoline from the tank to the carburetor involved
a very simple manual procedure. There was a small
valve located in the fuel line between the gasoline
tank and the sediment bowl. Turn it off, and that was
about all there was to it.
Like their earlier model cousins, and unless later
fitted with an after-market conversion kit, the first
few thousand model 50, 60 and 70 gasoline tractors
were equipped with this old-style, manually
operated, valve assembly. On the later model
Waterloo tractors, including the more powerful, and
more fuel efficient 20 and 30 series, John Deere
engineers incorporated an advanced design
automatic fuel shut-off system, a major improvement
at the time.
Held in the open position by engine oil pressure,
John Deere’s innovative automatic fuel valve closed
when the engine stopped because there was no
longer any oil pressure. The primary purpose of the
new system was not just one of operator
convenience. It also acts as an important safety
feature by automatically shutting down the engine
before it is seriously damaged should the oil
pressure fail accidentally.
The automatic shut-off valve operates on a very
simple principle. Engine oil pressure interfaces with
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The John Deere 630 parked in the shop with its flywheeland clutch removed in preparation for having its damagedcrankshaft and two main bearings taken out.
two thin flexible rubbery diaphragms located in a
housing on top of the sediment bowl. When the
engine’s running, oil pressure against the
diaphragms hold the valve open and fuel can flow
freely. When the engine’s stopped and there is no oil
pressure, the diaphragms collapse, causing the
valve to close, thereby halting the gravity-fed fuel
flow from the tank to the carburetor below. This is a
very handy arrangement – for the most part!
The automatic system is usually very reliable and
works quite well. But it is not totally without its
problems, especially as these tractors age and wind
up in the collections of John Deere enthusiasts,
particularly where the engines are not run on a
regular and frequent basis. Unfortunately, with age,
those thin diaphragms are prone to developing
leaks. When this happens, turning off the ignition
cand not always be relied upon to automatically shut
off the fuel flow. In a worst case scenario, gasoline
can actually flow from the fuel tank down through
the leaking diaphragm and then back through the oil
pressure line, eventually ending up in the crankcase,
a very undesirable, and perhaps even dangerous,
situation.
We have had two-cylinder John Deere tractors on
the farm almost exclusively since about 1940. There
were a few times over those many years when we
experienced a diaphragm failure which required
replacement. But in all those years, never did this
weakness result in any serious consequences. We
simply replaced the diaphragms, installed new
gaskets, and were once again, quickly on our way.
To our grief though, that scenario recently took an
unexpected and shocking twist for the worse.
Disaster struck!
My brother and I currently have about ten two-
cylinder tractors in our collection, ranging in age
from a 1936 “B” to a 1960 530. The older ones have
the manual shut-off, but several of the newer ones
are equipped with the automatic fuel shut-off
system. Included in the latter group are a 520, 620,
630, and of course, the 530. None of the tractors in
our collection are used on a regular or frequent
basis anymore. Their role now is primarily for display
at fairs and shows, and of course, to be driven in an
occasional parade.
So, these tractors do not get run every day, and
sometimes not for several weeks at a time. But,
each time after we finish with them, we either shut
the fuel off manually and let them run dry, or, if so
equipped, rely on the automatic fuel shut-off to do
that job. We also routinely add stabilizer to all of our
fuel. It was while preparing for the County Fair this
year (2009) that disaster struck a nearly fatal blow to
our 1959 model 630.
This is what happened. Approximately 4 to 5 gallons
of stabilized gasoline was added to the fuel tank
about a week before the Fair. (We didn’t want to risk
the embarrassment of possibly running out of gas
during the parade, especially if we had been invited
to pull the Farm Queen’s float.) Checking the fuel
level one last time before loading the 630 for its
short trip to the fairgrounds, we were surprised to
discover that almost all of the gasoline had
somehow drained out of the tank.
Noticing the fresh smell of gasoline and a wet area
on the gravel floor beneath the tractor, we
suspected that we knew exactly what the problem
was, a leaky diaphragm. We immediately removed
the crankcase dipstick to check if the oil level might
be a little higher than normal. If it was, then that clue
would have been a good indication that our
diagnosis was correct.
7
But upon removing the dipstick, we were astonished
when a mixture of gasoline and crankcase oil literally
erupted from the dipstick opening. There was so
much gasoline and oil gushing out of the crankcase
that the scene was somewhat reminiscent of the
famous Old Faithful geyser erupting in Yellowstone
National Park. Unlike Old Faithful though, this wasn’t
a very pretty or a very welcome, sight.
Once the surprising flow of gas and oil had stopped,
an empty five-gallon bucket was placed under the
drain plug to receive the rest of the crankcase
contents. To our further amazement, an additional
four gallons or more of oil and gasoline mixture
poured into that bucket. This was in spite of the fact
that the normal crankcase capacity of a 630 is only
eight quarts!
Thinking that this problem could still be solved
quickly by simply replacing the diaphragms, gaskets,
a new oil filter and two gallons of fresh engine oil,
that is what we proceeded to do. But then, we made
a really serious mistake. Anxious to get moving, I
unwittingly pressed the starter button and the engine
promptly “fired up”. Since we had just changed the
oil, I kept my eye on the oil pressure gauge. At all
times, the gauge indicated normal oil pressure. So
initially, there appeared to be no reason for alarm.
But there did seem to be a curious internal
“thumping” sound coming from the engine. It didn’t
seem bad. But it was an unusual sound
nevertheless that just didn’t seem to be quite
normal. The engine also sounded like it was
intermittently coming under load, then quickly
recovering. The oil pressure still appeared to be fine.
So, I asked my brother, who was standing nearby,
what he thought. Before he could reply though, the
engine abruptly stopped. To our horror, we found
that it had seized, locked up tight! Considering that
the oil pressure gauge had been in the normal range
at all times, we just couldn’t believe what had
happened.
The next step then was deciding what to do. Junking
that magnificent old 630, a once powerful and
smooth-running specimen of a four-plow row-crop
tractor, was completely out of the question for us.
So, with the help and technical advice of my more
mechanically inclined son and son-in-law, we
decided to roll it into the shop, take the engine apart,
try to diagnose the problem, and then repair it if
practical.
Upon disassembly, we discovered that both main
bearings had seized solidly onto the crankshaft.
Once the bearings were removed, the crankshaft
had to be sent out to a machine shop for repair.
What started out as a simple routine repair job had
now escalated into a major, costly disaster.
Fortunately, the pistons and the block were
undamaged. Only the two main bearings and the
crankshaft appeared to have taken the brunt of the
damage and were in need of replacement or repair.
When I met afterwards with several of the
experienced tractor mechanics at our local John
Deere dealership and described the sequence of
events in detail, and showed them what the end
effect had been, they all expressed surprise. They
admitted that, in all their combined years of
experience, they had never before witnessed
anything like this exact scenario and its disastrous
end result.
After collecting as many expert opinions as possible
(and some that are probably not so expert), we have
a theory now as to what most likely happened.
Obviously, such a large volume of fuel leaked
through that faulty diaphragm, that it virtually filled
the crankcase. All of that gasoline and ethanol
mixture then remained in the crankcase for nearly a
week, long enough for it to essentially equilibrate
with the oil in the crankcase and react with any
exposed plastic or rubber parts. We believe that the
gasoline/ethanol mixture also ultimately displaced
most of the lubricating oil from the critically important
internal oil lines and passages. When the engine
was started, even though normal oil pressure
showed on the gauge, the observed hydraulic
pressure was actually due mostly to gasoline filling
the oil lines, not motor oil.
If the tractor had been in more frequent use
perhaps, the leakage problem might have been
discovered sooner and there might not have been
8
sufficient time for so much gasoline to find its way
into the crankcase. The bottom line here is that a
large volume of gasoline mixed with engine oil
definitely does not make a satisfactory engine
lubricant.
Another significant observation was that when the
diaphragms were removed, the lower one, the one
that was in direct contact with the gasoline, did have
a visible, yet tiny break in it as expected. Also of
significance, this diaphragm had an unusual
“gummy”, “sticky”, or almost “jelly-like” texture to it.
One theory is that the ethanol contained in the
gasoline that is now so widely used in Maryland in
these 50-year-old engines, may have reacted
chemically or in some other way possibly with the
diaphragm material, perhaps causing it to
deteriorate more rapidly than normal. We also
noticed that the two small rubber or neoprene donut-
shaped gaskets used where the internal oil lines
connect to the main bearing housings, were swollen
so much that the opening in the center of each for oil
flow, were almost completely swollen shut.
Sadly, this is not the first time that we have heard of
problems apparently caused by ethanol used in fuel
systems that were not specifically designed to resist
the negative effects of this modern fuel additive. In
September, 2009, according to The Baltimore Sun,
“Over 200 Baltimore City police cars experienced
engine problems after fueling up at a city-run pump,
and more than 70 had to be sidelined.”
There have also been many other reports of
problems using “gasohol” in small engines such as
those found on lawn mowers, chain saws, weed
trimmers, boats, etc. According to comments by the
Outdoor Power Equipment Institute on a DOE report
regarding ethanol blends in “legacy” vehicles, etc.,
it was reported that “It is well established that
ethanol fuels generally permeate at significantly
higher rates through certain plastics, nylon, and
rubber materials used in fuel tanks and systems.” So
ours does not appear to have been an isolated case.
Another theory for consideration is that an
accessorial factor in this problem might have been
the kind of stabilizer that we added to our gasoline.
We’ve noticed that one major supplier has recently
begun marketing a “new improved” stabilizer
formulation that is claimed to be more compatible
than its predecessors in dealing with the “corrosive”
effects of ethanol in gasoline.
In spite of all our problems, we believe that there
might still be a bright side to all of this difficulty. Our
sad and costly experience with the John Deere 630
might now provide a few important lessons for other
collectors of older model John Deere two-cylinder
tractors, especially tractors that have the automatic
fuel shut-off feature and that are not being run on a
regular daily basis.
Lesson #1) Do not leave more than a gallon or two
of gasoline, stabilized or not, in the fuel tank over a
long period of time. Check the engine oil level more
frequently to improve chances of the earliest
possible detection of any wayward gasoline that has
possibly drained into the crankcase.
Lesson #2) If the worst case scenario should
become a reality, as it happened with us, then
replace the diaphragms, drain and replace the
engine oil and oil filter as you ordinarily would. And
do this as soon as possible to minimize the amount
of gasoline contamination in the crankcase.
Lesson #3) If excess gasoline does get into the
crankcase, then after completing the steps in
Lesson #2, and before starting the engine, remove
the spark plugs and slowly turn the engine over
several times until you are certain that the oil pump
is functioning properly. Check to be sure that all of
the important engine bearing surfaces are getting
lubricated properly with engine oil, and not with
gasoline.
Lesson #4) Be sure to use a gasoline stabilizer that
has been manufactured specifically for compatibility
with today’s modern gasoline formulations, mixtures
that often contain significant percentages of ethanol.
And finally,
Lesson #5) Although the tractor would probably be
no longer considered “original” by some highly
choosey collectors, if the tractor will be run only
9
infrequently, as an extreme measure to help protect
your investment, you might consider replacing the
automatic fuel shutoff assembly with a manually
operated fuel valve.
In the interest of improving the environment and
ultimately helping to get the U.S. off of its
dependence on foreign oil, we want to make it clear
that we are not against the use of ethanol as a fuel.
Quite the contrary. But, if ethanol blends really are
creating a problem in some engines, especially the
vintage ones, then we consumers need to have a
choice available between gasoline and gasohol.
One aspect of this experience that I am really
thankful for is that one of us didn’t inadvertently
climb aboard that vintage John Deere 630 and
blindly try to start it, totally unaware that the
crankcase was full of gasoline. Aside from possibly
physically breaking something, at least one “expert’
has suggested that had there been a wayward
spark, the main case of that grand old 630 might
very well have been turned into a shower of
shrapnel.
I don’t know if this outcome was at all likely or not.
But, I’m sure glad that we didn’t have to find out the
hard way. And I’m also thankful that the 630 now
has been given a chance to live once more.
_________________________________________
Where’s the Beef??
by Art Boone
My dad put
this “For Sale”
ad in the
C l a s s i f i e d
Section of the
October 16,
1952 issue of the Ellicott City Times newspaper. At
the time, we had up to 40 steers grazing in our
pastures. Dad advertised in the Fall of each year to
sell the other half of one steer which would be too
much for our small family to use.
What’s memorable to me is that the phone would
ring the same day that the paper came out. And that
half of beef was sold immediately. Then, the phone
continued to ring and we would continue to sell up to
five halves – equal to three whole steers.
The steers were taken to the Freezer Locker Plant
at the corner of Route 144 and St. John’s Lane, just
outside of Ellicott City. Here they were slaughtered,
skinned, cut up and packaged according to each
customer’s specification.
We didn’t own a truck, so our steers were hauled for
us by Mr. Norman Howard, a prominent county
citizen who later became County Sheriff. Marketing
our steers this way was a “win-win” situation for both
us and the customer.
NOTE: Our phone number in those days was
“Clarksville 531-W-2" That meant that we were on a
“party line”, and our number of rings was “2". But,
that’s a story for another time.
_________________________________________
Help Us to Name Our Roads
Our museum programs are becoming more and
more active. It is time to name our roads. There is
the lane that leads to the Hebb House and then
makes a circle around the barn foundation. We also
have the road that goes up the hill and meets the
lane that goes back to the south part of the museum
grounds. If you have any suggestions for
appropriate names, please contact one of the Board
of Directors. All names will be considered.
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“Recreational” Dynamiting
of Tree Stumps
by V. Allan Bandel
On several occasions in these articles, I have
referred to how dynamite was a tool that was
frequently, and routinely, used to help make life just
a little bit easier on the farm in rural early 20th
century Howard County, MD.
10
But, the frequent use of high explosives, especially
by relative amateurs, was definitely not without its
risks. My dad often told, and re-told, an interesting,
and somewhat exciting, “dynamite” story involving
one of our neighbors.
The outcome of this tale could have been tragic.
Fortunately, though, tragedy was narrowly averted
and our friend, as well as many of our other
neighbors, learned a valuable lesson from this
experience.
The time setting was in the early 1940's and our new
neighbor, the “star” of this story, had just recently
moved from his New England city home to rural
Howard County. But, Harry (not his real name) was
still a “city boy” and now held a good job in
Baltimore. Some afternoons, after returning home
from a hard day’s work in the city, he found
relaxation in hunting those troublesome, destructive
ground hogs (woodchucks). He used an expensive
high-powered rifle that he was quite proud of.
Harry frequently hunted on land near the fields
where Dad was often busy blasting out tree stumps
in the process of clearing new cropland. As long as
our friend was careful about where he was shooting,
Dad appreciated him doing this because, left
unchecked, ground hogs were a costly nuisance,
destroying crops and digging burrows that a horse,
or a person even, could accidentally step into and
possibly break a leg.
On one such typical day, after Harry had observed
for quite awhile as Dad “blew” stumps, our new
friend and neighbor set aside his fancy rifle for a few
moments and commented that it appeared to him
that setting off dynamite under tree stumps sure
seemed like a lot of fun, perhaps more fun even
than hunting ground hogs.
He was so intrigued by the idea that he asked my
dad about the cost of a stick of dynamite. Dad
informed him that each stick had cost him about 16
cents, and that each detonator cap was
approximately another 6 cents. Pleasantly surprised,
our new neighbor remarked that the cost of
dynamite was considerably less than what he had to
pay for the high powered rifle bullets that he used for
hunting ground hogs.
It didn’t take Harry long then to make up his mind
that he was going to investigate giving “recreational”
dynamiting a try (although he did not refer to it in
those terms). The “sport” appeared to be no more
expensive than hunting ground hogs, and it definitely
appeared to him to be a lot more exciting.
So off he went to get the required permit and a case
of dynamite. Harry was obviously successful in his
quest because a few days later Dad heard that his
friend had obtained a supply of the explosive, as well
as a box of detonating caps and a roll of fuse. All of
these materials he had “carted” over to his parent’s
small farm, a recently purchased parcel in the
eastern end of the county. His goal was to “blow”
some stumps for his dad the same way that he had
watched my dad do it so many times before.
Continuing the story as it took place several days
later, the next thing that Dad heard about his friend
was from an emergency telephone call that he
received from one of the major hospitals in
Baltimore. The caller informed Dad that his friend
had been involved in a serious “miss-fire” accident.
The injury was fairly serious and the hospital was in
urgent need of blood donations to give our friend a
life-saving transfusion.
As Dad learned later, apparently what had happened
was that after lighting the fuse, several minutes had
elapsed and the dynamite had still not gone off. Our
friend, who obviously did not think the situation
through thoroughly and was possibly a little
impatient, let curiosity get the better of him.
Full of innocent impatience and impulsiveness, Harry
had ventured back to the scene of the apparent
miss-fire to investigate, thinking that he must
determine the cause of the problem. He thought that
perhaps the fuse had pulled loose from the cap, or
maybe the fuse had even burned out before the fire
had reached the cap. For some unknown reason,
the dynamite had simply failed to detonate in what
our inexperienced friend believed to be a reasonable
interval of time.
11
As any qualified professional in the occupation of
handling high explosives would quickly tell you, in
this highly specialized, and often dangerous
occupation, such impulsive behavior is a definite
“no-no”. As you might guess, just as our neophyte
friend got close to the site where the dynamite was
“planted”, and just as he was about to peer into the
hole to investigate, the charge finally went off, right
into his face!
Another factor that made matters even worse for our
friend was the unique soil type on his folk’s recently
acquired farm. The parent material of the soil on this
farm located in the eastern end of Howard County
would be classified as transitional between Piedmont
and Coastal Plain. Thus in places, the soil contained
a good proportion of sand and gravel. The exploding
pieces of sand and gravel “peppered” our friend’s
face like fine shrapnel might do from a land mine, or
perhaps more like being on the receiving end of a
nearby shotgun blast.
Fortunately, the explosion did not kill Harry, but he
did lose a lot of blood. Dad and several other
neighbors were quickly summoned to the hospital to
donate blood for him.
Lying on his hospital bed, Dad remembered that the
victim’s face was almost completely swathed in
bandages. There were only a couple of small
openings cut through the bandages to allow him to
see and to breathe.
Ultimately, Dad’s friend made a remarkable full
recovery, and subsequently became a much wiser
person as a result of his miserable experience.
Luckily, he lived to a “ripe old age” after his close
encounter with the “grim reaper”. But he did carry
with him for the rest of his life, many of the scars
acquired from his close “brush with the fickle nature
of dynamite”.
Fortunately for the rest of us now, modern
bulldozers, draglines, backhoes, stump grinders and
other heavy-duty machines now provide a more
effective, accurate, and much safer method of
removing tree stumps than dynamite. These much
safer, and predictable, machines can also easily and
efficiently accomplish excavation tasks that were
once left to the explosive, crude, and sometimes
unpredictable, power of dynamite.
_________________________________________
Receiving The Rusted Plow
Why Not Use e-mail?
If you have a computer with access to the internet,
then why not help the Club to save a considerable
amount of postage money by agreeing to receive
your meeting notification AND your copy of The
Rusted Plow by e-mail.
As you know, monthly postcard reminders are
mailed out to notify Club members of the regular
meeting dates. But postage rates just keep on
increasing, and there is also the cost of the post
card to consider. The club can save a considerable
amount in mailing costs each month by using e-mail
instead of the U.S. Postal Service. Quite a few
members have already signed up for and have
made the switch to electronic mail.
If you would prefer to receive your monthly meeting
For the betterment of the goals of our organization,
your club leaders would welcome any helpful ideas,
your constructive suggestions, and especially, your
active participation. Please feel free to contact them.
_________________________________________
Repair Services Available. Tractor magneto repair
(Wico, American Bosch, IH, Fairbanks Morse).
Some exchange units available. All work
guaranteed. Fast service. Also, carburetor,
generator and starter repair (including Ford Model
“A” and Model “T”). Gil Hilsinger, 1538 Buckhorn
Road, Sykesville, MD 21784. Call (410) 795-3734.
_________________________________________
Calendar of Events
Sep 25-27 14 Annual Howard County Farmth
Heritage Days. Living Farm Heritage
Museum Grounds, West Friendship,
MD.
Sep 25-
Oct 11 Howard County Farm-City Celebration.
For information on sponsorship and a
schedule of events, please contact Kathy
Zimmerman at (410) 313-6500. Also, visit
the Howard County Antique Farm
M a c h i n e r y C l u b w e b s i t e a t
www.farmheritage.org.
Oct 3-4 12 Annual Barnyard Jamboree andth
Antique Tractor Show. Feature - Oliver.
Star Community Equestrian Center,
13674 Greencastle Pike, Hagerstown,
MD.
13
Another one of the five unique orange-painted Australian-made Chamberlain 9G tractors as it arrivedat the Living Farm Heritage Museum on June 27, 2009. This was the group’s first official stop on anapproximately 5,000 mile “tractor trek” across America. The tractors were all diesel-powered. Some hada three-speed rear coupled to a three-speed transmission. Notice that the rear tractor “tyres” werereversed to achieve better wear on the highway. Proudly flying their Australian flags, the 14 adventurersriding in the procession of five tractors, each pulling a big camper, plus two motor homes, kept in touchand on the right “track” with their CB radios, cell phones and GPS systems.
