I have been wondering how exactly things were done on these farms during the time Adaline was writing, so I was really excited to get a little glimpse of that in her writing. It seems that Harvey is still doing things the “old-fashioned way” by planting his corn with a hoe, while “the boys” that she refers to from back in Nebraska are busy with their harrows, cultivators, and other farm equipment.
I found a time-line detailing the History of American Agriculture. It states that the first American Agricultural Revolution dates from the late 1860’s and early 1870’s with the shift from hand power to horses. Maybe Harvey really was behind the times! That site also states that the second American Agricultural Revolution didn’t occur until 1945-1970 with the change from horses to tractors along with other technological practices- that is almost 100 years later! Things have been changing quickly ever since. It is an interesting site to check out. It also lists differences in amounts of fertilizers used over time and how the yield per acre has changed. One other fact is that in the early 1890’s, farmers made up about 43% of the labor force while today people involved in agriculture only make up 2%.
On another note, Harvey is planting seeds when it is still freezing outside… at the end of May… This is crazy!
A Burch Tree 
Two things …
Knickerbocker … gosh I love that name!
Also, I can appreciate being “stuck” in the past. All of these youngsters around us don’t even call their friends, they text them and if I were in real danger and texting was my only form of communication, well, too bad for me!