Before acquiring Van Brunt Manufacturing Company in 1911, Deere Sales Branches carried a variety of grain drill brands. The Horicon, Wisconsin-based company was established in 1859 and was the largest grain drill factory in North America. One of the company’s founders, George Van Brunt, was responsible for inventing the adjustable-gate, fluted force feed metering system that would be the industry standard for more than a century. Early grain drills had the seed box mounted low. This allowed the reigns to pass over it and give the operator an unobstructed view of the field ahead. The model 00 shown here and others could be ordered with either metal or steel wheels.
Skilled workers painted the details on early planters by hand. This early wood box model has wooden wheels and optional seat.
Before World War II, industrial hemp was an important crop in some parts of the United States. The “John Deere-Van Brunt Alfalfa, Grass Seed and Hemp Drill” was designed to plant such small seeds in rows only four inches apart.
Page 14 September 2013 • Green Magazine®