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Eight-Row Planter--This implement is pulled by a tractor and controlled by hydraulics. The white fiberglass containers at the top front are seed bins. There is a plate at the bottom of each bin that can be adjusted to control the rate at which seeds are dropped. There is a tube that runs from each seed bin to a small plow share at the ground, this is how the seeds are planted, There is also a larger share in front of each planting sweep that turns up the soil before the seed planted. The row of wheels behind the planter is a version of what farmer call "rollers." Rollers compact the soil over the planted seeds to preserve moisture and to decrease wind erosion. This rig is typical of one used by a farmer who plants using deep furrowed rows.

Combination Fertilizer/Planter Rig--This implement combines two jobs--fertilizing and planting at the same time. The large yellow tanks contain liquid fertilizer which is pumped down into the field where the seeds are to be planted. The white bins are the seed bins. This rig plants 12 rows at a time. It is used in fields where there are no deep furrows. This is "flat-land" planting. At each end of the planter is a vertical pole. These are spacers. When operating, the poles are lowered out by hydraulics and at the end of each is a single disc which digs a small trenching in the soil marking the preset distance.

Truck and Nurse Tank--Here the tractor returns to the "nurse" fertilizer truck to refill the four tanks.

A Real Farm Truck--This is a 4 by 4 Dodge Ram 2500 Turbo Diesel Pick-up doing a job for which it was designed. Trucks such as this cost over $40,000. these days. For a farmer, they are a necessity, not a status symbol or a tool to intimidate on the freeway. The "luxury" status placed on such vehicles by urban owners have created a demand situation that has increased outrageously the cost of what is really a work vehicle for farmers and ranchers.

The truck bed--This is just a portion of the bed of the Ram Pickup shown in the previous photo.

A Large-time Farming Operation--This is a view of farm headquarters of one large-scale Texas Czech farmer in rural Nueces County.

Another View--From the opposite side, this is a closer view of just some of the equipment on this large-scale farm.

A Cultivator--This cultivator is parked directly behind a six-foot high hurricane fence. This gives one a scale of the implement and the operation.

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