P & O Corn Planters

P & O, or Parlen Orendorf, was a big, successful manufacturer of farm implements which was gobbled up by International Harvester early in the twentieth century. This information was taken directly from their sales catalog. In anticipation of your queries regarding color, our best information is that they featured a strong red (like Int. Red) exclusively. Hope you can use this information. LRM

DIAMOND CORN PLANTERS

Perfection in dropping corn is what is most desired by all farmers, and we claim, without fear of successful contradiction, that, in the Diamond Planter, we have the most perfect planter made, not only in respect to accurate dropping, but also in convenience and durability – two other very important considerations. The only way to properly test the working of a planter is to go into a field after the corn is up and examine the stand of corn. Some manufacturers are making great claims in regard to the accurate dropping of their planters, but their tests are all made in the factory, and specially selected corn is used. But results in the field are what the farmers want. We have made a careful study the past season of the fields planted with the Diamond Planter, and those planted with other planters, on some of which the manufacturers are making great claims of “accurate dropping,” and the results only strengthen us in our position that the Diamond has no equal.

Our planter will drop the exact number of grains desired in a hill. It is not necessary for us to advertise that one hill will have three kernels and the next four, as some manufacturers are advertising, for the only reason they make this claim is that they can not drop accurately.

The Diamond Planter possesses every feature that is requisite for a perfect and accurate working corn planter. As its appearance would indicate, it is the most symmetrical, best proportioned, the strongest, and at the same time the lightest weight and draft of any planter ever placed on the market. It has no cumbrous cast-iron parts, for all parts subject to strain are made from either steel or malleable iron.

The seed plates are revolved by pinions on the drop shaft, which is driven from the rock shaft by a positive drive at the center of the planter. The drive pawl has trunnions on each side which fit into notches in the pawl ratchet.

This makes a positive lock, and also serves to start the plates the instant the button engages the check rower fork, avoiding lost motion of the usual form of pawl drive. A spring brake exerts just sufficient force to prevent turning of the shaft on the back stroke of the pawl. Check heads are made of malleable iron, and the number of parts has been reduced to the minimum.

The check rower fork is attached direct to rock shaft, making fewer parts, and giving a positive movement. The fork is swiveled so that it can adjust itself to the position of the wire, thus preventing undue wear on the forks.

The joint is close to the end of the fork, and even when it becomes work the effect on the working of the check rower is not noticeable.

The pulleys run at an angle, keeping the wire in proper place, and preventing wear on the flanges. A rope is attached to check rower locks, and passes over the lever, so that raising the front releases the wire automatically.

The valves are operated directly from the rock shaft. The motion of the valves is similar to that of a hand, forcing the corn back into the furrow in perfect check, regardless of the speed of the team, no adjusting of the check rower being required to make this planter check in straight rows. Clogging of the valve is also an impossibility with this planter, as each motion of the valve serves to clean out any dirt which may lodge in the heel. The intermediate and lower valve are combined, the intermediate being yielding, and remains closed while the lower valve is open, absolutely preventing more than one hill being dropped at a time. The valves are readily accessible at all times.

The hoppers are arranged to tilt so that plates may be changed without emptying the corn, and it is an impossibility to return the hopper to its position without getting plates in proper mesh with drive pinion. For drilling, the valves are removed, and the thin drill plates substituted for the thick drill plates. An automatic throw-out is provided, which starts and stops the drilling when the runners are lowered and raised. A spring idler preserves a uniform tension on the sprocket chain. The runners on this planter have the same curvature necessary to run down and cut through trash which we have used on all our planters, but the front end is cut off and fastened to an arm running forward from front bar of planter. This makes the planter front very compact, and at the same time retains the proper curvature of the runner.

If it is desired to drill the corn, a kernel at a time, into the shank and check it in hills by means of the wire, it can be done by simply removing the pawl from center drive.

The raising lever has a spring connection to front, giving sufficient flexibility to permit the front to conform to the uneven surface of the ground. The lift spring is so arranged that, by regulating the tension, the runners can be made to run at a uniform depth when raising lever is unlatched, and is also of great assistance in raising runners out of the ground.

Unlike other spring lifts it exerts a uniform pull throughout the entire motion for the lever, for as the front is raised and the tension of the spring becomes less, the leverage increases, forming a perfect compensating device.

Unless otherwise ordered, this planter is furnished with center automatic reel, but can be furnished with side reel, the same as on the Parlin Planter, if preferred. The center reel is the same as used on the Senior and Junior Planters. It has a sheet steel drum, which is a perfect circle, avoiding kinking of the wire, and is provided with a friction for regulating the tension of the wire when letting out or reeling up. An anchor pin is used in connection with a sliding wire guide on the axle, for distributing the wire evenly on the reel.

The seat is adjustable, forward and back, and can also be tilted to suit the operator.

The planter is adjustable in width. The market pole is made of gas pipe, and the disc marker adjusts the same as planter.

The wheels shown above are the three styles used on all Canton Corn Planters, and they are made in the sizes listed for each planter.

The axles have bushings in the bearings which can be easily and cheaply replaced when worn, whereas on the ordinary planter the entire axle would have to be renewed. The wheels can be run on or off the row, as desired.

CANTON SENIOR CORN PLANTER

This planter is always ready for either hilling or drilling, as the seed plates are revolved by means of the drive wheels when used in either capacity. To change from a check rower to a drill planter it is only necessary to shorten the adjusting rod on check rower so that the valves are held open. There are two changes of speed to the seed plates, one fast and the other slow. The fast speed is used when checking from four to six kernels in a hill, or when drilling close together. The slow speed is used when two or three kernels are planted in a hill or drilling far apart.

The raising lever has a spring connection to the front, giving a certain amount of flexibility even when the lever is locked, and when desired, the latch may be thrown back, allowing the planter to oscillate freely, and so conform to all the inequalities of the surface of the ground, insuring a uniform depth of planting. A powerful lift spring is now used on this planter, making it so easily handled that a boy can operate it with ease. Raising the runners out of the ground throws the drilling device out of gear automatically; lowering them throws it in gear. The wire can also be dropped automatically by raising the runner.

The check rower is the same style as used on our Junior Corn Planter. As the plates are revolved by a chain from the axle, little work is left for the wire to perform, consequently there is no side draft, no strain on the anchor stakes, and the wire will last much longer. The stroke of the check rower is very short, as the valves open and close quickly. The wire used on this planter is known as the doubletwist knot, giving a large wearing surface on the fork steel, reducing wear and preventing the knot slipping through.

The automatic reel will lay out and take up the wire in the most satisfactory manner. The drum is a perfect cylinder of sheet steel, avoiding kinking of the wire, and the distributing level is within easy reach.

Hoppers are of good size and are rain-proof. Plates are furnished for planting 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6 kernels in a hill, or for drilling 7, 9, 11, 14, 18 or 22 inches apart, and special plates for long, slim kernels of broom corn and other seeds can be furnished on application.

A Fertilizer attachment for the Senior Planter can be supplied, which can be readily attached.

CANTON SENIOR DISC CORN PLANTER

For use in gumbo and other difficult soils, where the disc seems to be the only practical earth-working tool, we equip the Canton Senior with disc openers. These discs are set at the proper angle to best perform their work, and run in chilled bearings, which are provided with self-closing oil cups, excluding the dirt and furnishing an easy means of oiling. On the planter the hoppers are removable, allowing the plates to be changed without removing corn from hopper. Otherwise the planter is the same as the regular Canton Senior.

CANTON JUNIOR CORN PLANTER

This planter still continues to be a general favorite, as it has many strong points to commend it. It has the thick plates for checking and thin plates for drilling. To change from checking to drilling it is only necessary to change the plates, and hook the valves open.

The check rower pulleys are set at an angle of forty-five degrees, allowing the wire to run in the center and not on the flanges, lessening wear on the pulleys, and preventing the wire from catching in joints of the check rower head. The wire is released automatically from check rower at the end of row by raising the planter, or, if drilling, the drill is thrown out of gear automatically. Wire is the double twist, giving a large bearing on fork steel.

Hoppers are of good size and are rain-proof.

Both the hand drop and foot drop are simple, easy to operate and conveniently placed.

Plates are revolved by means of a revolving shaft and gears, and a positive lock is provided when used for checking – a very important point.

Raising lever has a spring connection to front, allowing considerable flexibility, and when desired, the lever can be unlatched and the front left free to follow the surface of the ground, insuring planting at a uniform depth on uneven ground. The Junior has a spring lift, making it very easy to handle.

Either flat, concave or open-center wheels are furnished, and they can be run on or off the rows.

We make a Fertilizer attachment for the Junior Planter, which can be added at any time.

The automatic reel is a perfect cylinder of sheet steel, avoids kinking of the wire, and will lay out and take up the wire perfectly.

PARLIN CORN PLANTER

The illustrations of this planter will convey to the reader an idea of the extreme simplicity of the Parlin Planter. It is intended mainly for a hill drop planter, but can be fitted with a drill attachment when wanted. For those who expect to do very much drilling, however, we would recommend either the Canton Senior, or the Diamond Planter. It is light, strong and durable, and will do the most accurate work, as every detail has been worked out with utmost care.

The check rower is permanently attached to the planter, and can not get out of place. The wire is released automatically by raising the runners out of the ground.

The automatic reel is extremely simple, and can be used on either side of the machine, the distribution being within easy reach in both positions. The drum is perfectly round, permitting the wire to coil round it evenly, preventing short bends and kinks.

The force drop is one of the many features of this planter, the valve having a positive “kick” action, insuring perfect check regardless of the speed of the team, for the faster the team goes the greater the force of the kick. The drive pawls are positive in action, and the places are always locked when pawls are at end of stroke.

The hoppers can be tilted forward for the purpose of changing the seed plates, avoiding the necessity of removing the corn. The lids of the hoppers are made without holes, in order to exclude rain.

The foot drop is convenient to the driver’s foot and will be found very effective.

The tongue is adjustable in height, allowing the frame to run level, regardless of size of team. The spring connection to the lever permits a yielding motion when the planter runs over obstacles, and consequently it is possible to do perfect work in rough or uneven ground. A lift spring is also provided, so arranged that by regulating the tension, the runners can be made to run at any desired depth, when raising lever is permitted to float, and this spring is also a great assistance in raising runners out of the ground.

The disc marker is adjustable for different width rows, same as the planter, and the arch on the frame allows the marker pole to be carried from one side to the other without interfering with the reins – a good point when a restive or fractious team is being used.

A first-class drill attachment can be furnished for this planter at a very moderate price; it has an automatic throw-out, which operates when runners are raised, and will drill different distances as desired. For those who have much drilling to do, the Diamond or Canton Senior will be found preferable, the Parlin, with drill attachment, however, answering every purpose where most of the corn is checked, and only small quantities are drilled.

We make three styles of wheels for our Corn Planters. On the Junior and Senior Planters we make 30 and 40 inch wheels, and for the Parlin Planter a 28 inch wheel is supplied. A 30 inch wheel is also used on the Double Row Cotton and Corn Planter.

THE MEXICAN SENIOR CORN PLANTER

This is an adaptation of our Senior Corn Planter reconstructed to meet the demand in Mexico and other countries where close planting prevails.

It is a hill drop planter, driven automatically by a check cam on the drill shaft, which takes the place of the check rower and wire on other planters.

The wheel axle has two sprocket wheels, and the drill shaft has three sprocket wheels, a combination which will plant 24, 30, 36 and 42 inches apart. The planter is adjustable in width from 32 to 40 inches.

The hand lever is conveniently located and operates either way, each movement releasing the accumulated seed from the valves.

The Mexican Corn Planter is furnished with special plates for the long, irregular kernels so common in Mexican corn.

The Planter can be made with discs or runners, and has a disc marker pole. Made with 30 inch wheels, either flat, concave or open center tires.

As will be seen by the illustration, this planter is very simple in construction, as it is made without the check rower, wire reel, and other attachments necessary on a check rower planter.

The spring at the rear end of tongue connecting the raising lever has a double movement and action, relieving the machine from a positive set position when locked in the ground, and allowing a gentle, easy pressure on the runners, so the front of the machine is flexible, floating along and allowing even depth for planting. This lever is located in the center of rear frame, giving an equal pressure to each runner. In other planters where a side lever is used, the pressure is brought upon one runner, making the machine run deeper on one side than the other.

CANTON DOUBLE ROW COTTON AND CORN PLANTER

This is our Canton Senior Planter, changed so as to plant either cotton or corn, having the same drop as is used on the No. 1 and No. 2 Junior Cotton and Corn Planters. The cotton seed wheels are toward the center of the machine, enabling the operator to see just what work is being done, the seed passing down through a side opening into the shank, and from thence into the furrow, and is covered by the covering wheels the same as corn.

The change from corn to cotton is accomplished in a few moments. All there is to do is to remove the seed plates and cut-off for corn, and put in agitator for cotton. Hoppers and lid are of sheet steel, and, when wanted, double hoppers can be supplied, giving twice the capacity for seed.

Check rower and automatic reel are furnished with each machine, these being intended more particularly for corn, as it would seldom be desired to check cotton. Either cotton or corn can be drilled, the quantity of cotton and distance apart of the corn being adjustable through a wide range.

The planter is furnished in two widths, “A,” which is adjustable from 3 feet to 3 feet 8 inches, and the “B,” which is adjustable from 3 feet 8 inches to 3 feet 10 inches.

DISC OPENERS FOR CORN AND COTTON PLANTERS

In certain sections, particularly where gumbo and land abounds, the disc seems to be the only really practical device for working the soil, and it is here that the disc plow, disc harrow, and disc drill meet with ready favor. To meet the requirements of this kind of soil we make our Two Row Cotton Planter with disc openers, similar in general construction to those used on disc drills. The discs are set at the proper angle to secure the best results, and run in chilled bearings, provided with self-closing oil cups, making the bearing easy running and long lived.