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The Horse and Tractor Wars Letters and Lessons from an Old Horseman
Confined to a nursing home in Iowa in 1960, a time-worn horseman seeks to educate his grandson about the great transformation in American agriculture when horse power gave way to tractor power (1910-1950). Walt Decker spent nearly four decades as the chief national defender for the continued use of draft horses on the farm, especially Percherons. His grandson Jethro is a student in agricultural engineering at Iowa State University and does not understand the significance of the shift from equine power to tractor power. Grandfather Decker seeks to teach him with seven historical lessons that tell the story of this remarkable transformation as well details about the tractor wars that erupted after Henry Ford introduced his famous Fordson tractor in 1918. The historical lessons are nested in a series of letters from grandfather to grandson in which Walt Decker seeks to bridge the chasm of mistrust that exists between Jethro and himself. This is a work of history and historical fiction. It is enhanced by dozens of illustrations and archival images, along with a bibliography of suggested readings. Walt Decker has been loosely modeled after Wayne Dinsmore (1879-1966), longtime secretary of the Percheron Association of America and then the Horse and Mule Association of America.
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The International Harvester Company A History of the Founding Families and Their Machines
<p> Ancient farmers used draft animals for plowing but the heavy work of harvesting fell to the humans, using sickle and scythe. Change came in the mid-19th century when Cyrus Hall McCormick built the mechanical harvester. Though the McCormicks used their wealth to establish art collections and universities, battle disease, and develop birth control, members of the family faced constant scrutiny and scandal. This book recounts their story as well as the history of the International Harvester Company (IHC)--a merger of the McCormick and Deering companies and the world's leader in agricultural machinery in the 1900s.</p>
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Pacesetters in Corporate Journalism International Harvester Magazines : Reaching Readers Through Photojournalism
Corporate journalists and editors looking for effective ways to connect with their audiences have a new resource. Pacesetters in Corporate Journalism, International Harvester Magazines--Reaching Readers through Photojournalism gives insight to the editorial philosophy of the International Harvester magazines and first-hand knowledge as to how they operated. Additionally, the book gives interesting behind the scenes information on stories selected from the magazines. The compelling, story-telling lessons learned by the International Harvester magazines are applicable to any media. Few corporate magazines connected with their readers like those produced by International Harvester in the 1950s and 1960s. With content that rivaled mainstream magazines like LIFE magazine, International Harvester World and IH Today took readers into the lives of International Harvester’s employees—from CEOs to factory workers, from behind the scenes at hard-nosed union negotiations to tender moments with employee loved ones. The magazines set standards for visual and corporate journalism. Under the direction of editors Gerald D. Hurley and Angus McDougall, International Harvester World and IH Today soon became pacesetters in corporate journalism. They became known for text that was tightly integrated with candid photography in clean, uncluttered layout. They set standards for visual journalism in their commitment to unbiased reporting.
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United States of America, Petitioner, Vs; International Harvester Company, Et Al;, Defendants, Vol. 3 Record, Testimony of Witnesses for the Petitioner (Classic Reprint)
Excerpt from United States of America, Petitioner, Vs; International Harvester Company, Et Al;, Defendants, Vol. 3: Record, Testimony of Witnesses for the Petitioner <p>Memorandum of discussion in Mr. Mayer's room July 30, 1906; letter, A. E. Mayer to James Deering, July 23, 1906, and letter, Clarence S. Funk to A. E. Mayer, Aug. 4 1906 (not printed in this volume) <p>About the Publisher <p>Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com <p>This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.
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John Deere Classics
What began in 1837 with a plow made from a saw blade has grown into one of the world s foremost manufacturers of farm equipment. John Deere Green has become almost a trademark in itself, and the products that wear it are revered the world over.<br> <br> In John Deere Classics, the auto editors of Consumer Guide tell the John Deere story through period advertisements, photographs, and detailed profiles of 30 classic tractors, including these notable machines:<br> <br> The Model D, John Deere s first mass-produced tractor, which debuted in 1923 and enjoyed the longest run in John Deere history<br> The small but mighty John Deere Model L, the lightest tractor John Deere produced in the two-cylinder era<br> The versatile John Deere Model 730, one of the most popular tractors in history<br> <br> From the quaint little Johnny Poppers of the company s early years to the New Generation tractors that finally replaced them, John Deere s hearty workhorses are true American icons. Whether you're a John Deere aficionado or you're simply interested in American history, you'll be fascinated by John Deere Classics.
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Snoopy and the Spy A Saga of Espionage, Ingenuity, and the Epic Battle to Save International Harvester
<p>On the farm fields of the late 1970s and early 1980s, the stakes had never been higher. The era marked one of the hardest economic environments of the twentieth century, and two of the world's toughest competitors were locked in a high-horsepower arms race to create the world's best piece of agricultural equipment. For John Deere, winning meant maintaining global dominance. For International Harvester, winning would mean survival. For all the other ag equipment makers--well, it was mostly bad news. </p><p>In a big money game of poker, the two top makers bet on various new technologies and raced to build the best one first. The new machines were designed and built in secret spaces, then tested in dark pastures and remote corners of the world. They were transported carefully covered under tarps and rail cars . . . all in effort to keep them from the prying eyes and nimble cameras of the competition. </p><p>In this rollicking trip back in time, the salesman, engineers, and executives who played the game offer firsthand accounts of how and why this techno-turf war was fought. As the game escalated, one salesman took matters into his own hands. In the name of company loyalty, he crossed a line he shouldn't have and found himself deep in enemy territory. </p><p>The book includes never-before-published images of facilities and equipment, engineering design details, a look at company culture at the ag equipment companies, quotes from interviews with engineers, salespeople, and leaders of both International Harvester and John Deere, as well as insight into the events that led International Harvester to fail. If you love agriculture, history, or a zesty read, this book is for you! </p>
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Pastured Poultry Profits
A couple working six months per year for 50 hours per week on 20 acres can net $25,000-$30,000 per year with an investment equivalent to the price of one new medium-sized tractor. Seldom has agriculture held out such a plum. In a day when main-line farm experts predict the continued demise of the family farm, the pastured poultry opportunity shines like a beacon in the night, guiding the way to a brighter future.
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John Deere Two-cylinder Tractors
This book tells the story of the two-cylinder tractors made by Waterloo Boy and John Deere, including more than 130 color photographs, most of them taken especially for the book and showing superbly restored tractors owned by enthusiasts in the United States, Britain and Canada, providing a fascinating record of the design changes which took place over more than four decades of development. Also included are some black and white photographs of the original Froelich tractor, the forerunner of all Waterloo Boy and John Deere tractors.
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Farmall Regular Photo Archive : Photographs from the McCormick-International Harvester Company Collection
Magnificent collections of rare black & white photographs specially selected from public and private archives. Prototypes, early hand-built, and production tractors.
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John Deere's Company - Volume 1 From the Steel Plow to the Tractor 1837-1927
<p>The history of Deere & Company is several stories at once. It is the saga of an American folk hero remembered as the man "who gave to the world the steel plow." John Deere's Company - Volume 1 is the story of rural and small-town America from the time eastern farmers began moving into the Midwest in the early 1800s, through the American industrial revolution of the late 19th and up to the creation of the first John Deere tractors. </p> <p>It is also the story of an uncommon family whose members for 145 years directed the destiny of one of America's oldest business firms--now the largest agricultural machinery manufacturer in the world--until the first nonfamily member, Robert Hanson, was named chief executive officer of Deere in 1982.</p> <p>The story follows the company's role in the extraordinary growth of the American agricultural economy; its role in the discovery and application of major innovations in machinery and manufacturing methods; and, finally, its role in the sharing of that technology throughout the world.</p> <p>Those roles were influenced by the Populist movement in the 19th century, by the early attempts of unions to organize the farm implement industry, and by the competitive tactics and strategies of industrial leaders whose companies battled each other for market share.</p> <p>Wayne Broehl has taken these several historic threads and woven them into this lively and absorbing historical account. The updated and revised book has been divided into two volumes, this is Volume 1.</p>
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The John Deere Story A Biography of Plowmakers John & Charles Deere
<p>Today, John Deere is remembered-some say mistakenly-as the inventor of the steel plow. Who was this legendary man and how did he create the internationally renowned company that still bears his name? He began as a debt-stricken blacksmith who, fleeing debt in New England in the 1830s, set up shop in a little town on the Illinois frontier. There, in response to farmers' struggles, he designed a new plow that cut through the impervious prairie sod and lay open the rich, heavy soil for planting. The demand for his polished steel plow convinced him to specialize in farm implements.<br><br>In the decades before the Civil War, John Deere envisioned a company supplying midwestern farmers with reliable, affordable equipment. He used only high quality, imported steel and resisted pressure to raise prices. At the same time, he won respectful affection from his employees by working alongside them on the shop floor. Upon taking the helm in the 1860s, John's only surviving son, Charles, expanded the Moline factories to increase production, started branch houses in major midwestern cities to speed distribution, and began to transform the company into a modern corporation. The transformation didn't come without difficulties however: Charles found himself battling the Grange, facing threats of labor unions and strikes led by his own employees, and enduring patent suits and blatant thefts of product designs and advertising.</p>
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Grandpa's John Deere Tractors
A farm boy learns from Grandpa how John Deere tractors and implements made farm life easier. His parents update him on more recent John Deere products.
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