November/December 2020 Antique Power
/The November/December 2020 issue of Antique Power magazine is available in our gift shop and will be available in subscriber mailboxes and on newsstands soon. Our latest cover tractor is the Buice family’s 1920 International 15-30. This feature is written by Robert Gabrick and photographed by Jerry Heasley.
November/December 2020 Antique Power
The 1920s! Just a mention of that decade might call to mind the Roaring Twenties, the Jazz Age, the Era of Ballyhoo, or the Decade of Wonderful Nonsense. Iconic chapters included the flappers doing the Charleston, gangsters shooting their rivals in a battle to sell booze to a thirsty public that refused to accept prohibition, and aristocratic movie stars living the lush life in Beverly Hills. It was a time of increasing prosperity and greater leisure time that contributed to a near decade-long binge that ended with the 1929 stock market crash and the hangover of the Great Depression.
Unfortunately, this colorful and dramatic version misrepresents much of the reality of the Twenties. While most people in the United States enjoyed greater wealth and more leisure time, farmers and their families did not spend the decade partying, nor did they significantly enjoy the everyday benefits of greater prosperity and leisure.
The historical record has much to tell us about the challenges confronting North American farmers a century ago. The start of World War I in 1914 caused an economic boom for the nation’s farmers. Demand from war-torn Europe led to shortages that drove up prices dramatically. Minnesota data, which also reflect nationwide prices, show that from 1914 to 1919, wheat prices rose from $1.05 per bushel to $2.34, milk increased from $1.50 to $2.95 per hundred weight, corn went from 59 cents to $1.30 per bushel, while hog prices started at $7.40 and increased to $16.70 per hundred pounds.
To encourage farmers to produce more, Congress passed the 1916 Federal Farm Loan Act that provided long-term loans to help farmers invest in land, tractors, and implements. As a result, 132,744 farms in Minnesota, for example, carried debt totaling $254 million by 1920.
To read more about the 1920 International 15-30 pick up a copy of the November/December 2020 issue of Antique Power magazine!
Other articles in this issue include:
Deep Swamp Rescue! Submerged International Harvester TD-24 crawler was pulled from the muddy waters of a Minnesota lake.
A Star Is Born The Eddy family’s 1964 Minneapolis-Moline Jet Star 3 helped usher in a new generation of tractor collector and plowman.
Century Tractor—A Flaming Four in Texas The Buice family’s 1920 International 15-30 has a special local Texas pedigree.
The Noble Nuffield Mike and Angela Lassam relive their British heritage with their 1957 Nuffield Universal Three diesel tractor.
A Showroom Farmall Super C Stan Crader’s 1952 McCormick Farmall Super C honors his family’s long tenure as a farm equipment dealer.
From the Editor
Letters to the Editor
The Canada Connection 1919—The Future Had Arrived
Photos from the Attic
The Book Shed
At the Parts Counter—Scudder
Tractor Show Readers show off their favorites
Classifieds
Show Guide
Tech Tips The Green Tractor Blues
Of Grease & Chaff Up on a Hill Without a Grille
Gallery
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