Yesterday afternoon at 5, the new 9360R tractor arrived.  Gene Williams, delivery man for Wright-Stemle in Jasper brought our new tractor and took our trade-in.

The truck arrives with the new 9360R tractor

Here, Gene Williams, delivery specialist for Wright-Stemle, removes the tie-down chains from the new 9360R.

Today, Philip and John are in the shop adding cables and control boxes.  It takes a special cable for the camera, and the N-Ject system.  It’s always a happy day when a new machine arrives!

Philip and John add some of the many cables to the new tractor. It will connect properly to the camera and scales on the grain cart, and to the N-Ject control system of the 2510H applicator.

This exceptionally warm and dry week has been quite busy.  We entered the fields for the first time of 2012.  John used the new 4730 sprayer for the first time, applying the herbicide Harmony to the wheat.  He especially likes the new BoomTrac technology, and he has commented on how much more productive this sprayer seems with its 100-foot working boom width compared to the previous 90-foot sprayer.

I have also been out there with the 9330 tractor and the C-IH field cultivator.  I use that sparingly in the spring to smooth areas damaged by erosion.  Now the home farm, along with Evans, Dunn, Roberson, and Waldo are ready for the next operation, whether that is ammonia application, herbicide application, or planting.  I smoothed areas at Waldo where Shepards built two WASCOB terraces and a new contour terrace.  The latter one is a dramatic change from the previous severely-eroded, tree-lined ditch along a high bluff bank, to a field area, gently sloping down to a new terrace.

I also went to the Huey farm to smooth areas there the Shepards worked last fall.  (See the posting for last November 17th)  In the Flat Right field, they used their dirt pans or scrapers to cut-and-fill large open areas where ponding would occur after a big rain.  Now, the water will drain away evenly and the water won’t ‘stand’ on this field.  The tracks and deposits of the dirt pans needs this smoothing action of the field cultivator.  It was pleasant to have it dry enough to work this early in the year.  Now the Flat Right field is ready for the NH3 application.

It rained here during the night; a nice, gentle rain… just like I would have ordered.