TRACTORS
McCormick
Peter Donaldson’s 1953 McCormick Super C Farmall
Peter was in Van Lahti’s Café next door to Village Crier Gallery. He had time to view my twenty-two Pen & Ink prints of antique tractors and steam engines on exhibit and to read their stories. Thank you Candace Van den Dries and Katie-Sue for letting me share my art with your clients. When Peter left the café he came to our gallery and commissioned me to sketch his McCormick Super C. I was happy to accept.
Dave and I waited for the next sunny day and made our way to Peter’s farm. We had a great visit. Dave took lots of photos as reference for my rendering. We made a second trip to confirm some details and bought a bottle of pure maple syrup from Peter’s bush. A wonderful experience all around.
International McCormick Farmall Super ‘A’
This Tractor puzzled me for a long time. Dave and I take photos at every event we attend but we also snap pictures of interesting scenes and equipment wherever we are. When I print the photos out I always write any details about the day, the location or event on the reverse side. I missed this one. Don’t know if I saw this at Country heritage Park, the Milton Steam Show or one of the many plowing matches.
I saw an International harvester logo on the front and the McCormick Farmall names on the side along with an ‘A’. I Googled all this info and came up with the International McCormick Farmall Super ‘A’. Wikipedia and the other sites confirmed its identity. I was surprised to find that it was likely made in 1947 . . .the year I was born. Huh! The roof is likely custom made. Later the name Farmall Super ‘A’ or just Super ‘A’ was used to identify this tractor. Sometime ‘The Cub’ was included. Mystery solved.
McCormick – Deering Tractor & Massey Harris Drag Plow
In the mid nineteen eighties the Elgin County Plowing Match was held on Fingal line in Southwold on a Conservation managed property. During the Second World War this was an airport and Bomb School. Many farmers tell stories of the airmen who liked to startle the plowmen working in their fields by dropping the flour practice “bombs” as close as they could to the men. In times of peace it seemed appropriate to hold plowing matches here. This old McCormick-Deering did a great job of turning over the soil. It’s great to see antiques like this in action. – Jenny
McCormick-Deering Farmall F-12
This McCormick Deering Farmall F-12 was on exhibit at an antique tractor show in eastern Elgin County. Dave and I were excited to attend and see and photograph more antique tractors for me to draw or paint. There were tractors of every make lined up like little tin soldiers all in rows. The day was hot and humid and I welcomed the tractor pulled wagon ride to view all the exhibits. I spotted this cleated steel wheeled Farmall and asked Dave to make sure we had a photo of that one. This tractor is from the mid nineteen thirties. The cleats were supposed to give better traction.
McCormick Farmall H
This McCormick Farmall H was on exhibit at an antique tractor show in eastern Elgin County. Dave and I were excited to attend and see and photograph more antique tractors for me to draw or paint. There were tractors of every make lined up like little tin soldiers all in rows. The day was hot and humid and I welcomed the tractor pulled wagon ride to view all the exhibits. The Farmall manufactured by International Harvester was one of the most popular tractors in North America.
McCormick Farmall M – with drag plow
This old McCormick Farmall M tractor was seen at North Dumfries Plowing match held on Trussler’s farm on a road my old school bus took, back in the 1960’s. My grandfather, Ed Feick, great Uncle Clayton Shantz, Uncle Earl Feick and my Dad, Don Feick, were all champion plowmen, both at the local township, including North Dumfries, & county levels as well as the International Plowing Match. From the time I was old enough to walk I attended the matches too. Farmers left bushel baskets of apples and pears on hay wagons parked on the head lands for all to enjoy. Many older men had bags of Scotch mints, black balls and linseed lozenges in their suit jacket pockets or their overalls to dole out to well behaved kids. I loved the sounds of the match too . . the squeak of the leather; the gees and the haws cried out by the horsemen; . . .the smell of the horses mixed with the diesel fumes and exhaust from the tractors . . .and the scent of the hay or straw on the wagons. It was a great time and especially for someone like me with a passion for horses. Ploughing matches were my highlight of the year. I still go whenever I can. – Jenny