Gene's right in saying no one who is trying to explain today's problems has mentioned the Dust Bowl adding to the problems of the Great Depression.
Our daughter (history major) sent me a book on the Dust Bowl. The price of wheat was good in the late 1920's and millions of acres of native grasslands in Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, and southern Nebraska were plowed up to be planted in wheat. Anyone who had a tractor and plow was in great demand. Kids as young as 12 were making big money by borrowing their father's or grandfather's tractor and putting in 12 hour days plowing up grassland that should never have been touched by a plow. Then when the drouth came, the soil was unprotected and began to blow in dust storms.
I was born in 1934 and can remember the tail end of the Depression and drouth years, and the financial stress my parents endured. Every Saturday, they took their eggs, cream, and other produce to town, sold it, and bought supplies and groceries for the coming week. They considered themselves secure if they had $3.00 left over each week.
For the last several years, I've been appalled watching HGTV when they would follow young couples buying their first house. These kids would buy a $300,000 house with zero down and an adjustable rate mortgage, interest only initially, to balloon in several years. They were upside down when they signed the papers. You could give them a written guarantee they'd be on the street in two or three years. And that was before prices declined and their house lost a fourth of its value.
I'm normally an optimist, but I have this edgy feeling the worst is yet to come.
We sell tractor parts! We have the parts you need to repair your tractor - the right parts. Our low prices and years of research make us your best choice when you need parts. Shop Online Today. [ About Us ]
Today's Featured Article - Restoration Story: Fordson Major - by Anthony West. George bought his Fordson Major from a an implement sale about 18 years ago for £200.00 (UK). There is no known history regarding its origins or what service it had done, but the following work was undertaken alone to bring it up to show standard. From the engine number, it was found that this Major was produced late 1946. It was almost complete but had various parts that would definitely need replacing.
... [Read Article]
Latest Ad:
1964 I-H 140 tractor with cultivators and sidedresser. Starts and runs good. Asking 2650. CALL RON AT 502-319-1952
[More Ads]
All Rights Reserved. Reproduction of any part of this website, including design and content, without written permission is strictly prohibited. Trade Marks and Trade Names contained and used in this Website are those of others, and are used in this Website in a descriptive sense to refer to the products of others. Use of this Web site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy
TRADEMARK DISCLAIMER: Tradenames and Trademarks referred to within Yesterday's Tractor Co. products and within the Yesterday's Tractor Co. websites are the property of their respective trademark holders. None of these trademark holders are affiliated with Yesterday's Tractor Co., our products, or our website nor are we sponsored by them. John Deere and its logos are the registered trademarks of the John Deere Corporation. Agco, Agco Allis, White, Massey Ferguson and their logos are the registered trademarks of AGCO Corporation. Case, Case-IH, Farmall, International Harvester, New Holland and their logos are registered trademarks of CNH Global N.V.
