It seems like the mail gets slower all the time as readers in Canada didn’t get the issue #60 until the end of October. Prices keep going up and service goes down. Go figure!
Massey Ferguson 95 & 97 Tractors The October issue featured the Minneapolis Moline built Massey Ferguson Model 95 and 97 tractors. It was an in-depth feature that included an extensive history on Massey’s different attempts to build a large horsepower tractor. This actually started with Harry Ferguson’s F-60 or LTX tractor that was abandoned during the Ferguson Massey-Harris merger. The article includes a complete serial number listing for all models that were built from 1958-1965. It is an interesting piece of Massey Ferguson history.
Working Tractors We run this very popular feature almost every fall and it always generates a lot of interest. Readers from the US, Canada, New Zealand, Netherlands and Switzerland, submitted photos of their Ferguson. Massey-Harris and Massey Ferguson tractors hard at work. I included fifteen pages showcasing the tractors of thirty-four readers. The images were outstanding and showed a lot of thought had gone into each contributor’s submission. There are a couple that missed the deadline, so if you have a photo that you didn’t get around to sending me, you still can. Send them to legacyeditor@columbus.rr.com.
This was our 60th issue which means that Sue and I have been cranking out this publication for over fifteen years. It has been an interesting adventure, which has introduced us so some of the finest folks, many who were retired Massey-Harris and Massey Ferguson employees.
There was an interesting Extended Letter from a reader in New Zealand. Don Begley included a brief history of his family’s Massey-Harris collection and how they were used over the years. (photos 1,2,3)
The inside front cover displayed a beautiful Massey-Harris Company Christmas card from 1943. It had originally been sent to dealers that were part of the Ontario Branch. These old cards are getting harder and harder to find and this one is a classic!
Reader and former Massey Ferguson Engineer, Jim Clark, shares another unusual story in his Tales from Engineering of a Massey Ferguson tractor that escaped from its tether on the test track.
A pictorial called Kids and Massey Tractors, featured heartwarming photos of youngsters riding in parades with their parents. It is never too early to get young kids interested in antique tractors.
Rounding out this issue is a story of the generational McCutcheon Farms that has used Massey Ferguson tractors from start to finish.
Lastly, the sales of the Legacy Quarterly calendar goes a long way in helping to financially support the magazine. Advertising is getting harder and harder to come by and the calendar helps to make up some of the difference.
OUTTAKES LQ #59
I’m sorry this is so late coming out. We had a major wind storm, which caused a lot of damage to our trees and fences. We will be a long time getting it cleaned up.
As I write this on July 19th, the July issue has mostly been delivered here in the states. The mail was slower than usual due to the July 4th holiday. I haven’t been notified of any deliveries in Canada as of yet.
I have gotten a lot of good response to the feature article on the Massey-Harris Model 55. There was a lot of information packed into that article. Much of that information was from primary sources that were supplied by Daren Meyers that originated from his family’s Massey-Harris dealership.
There were also articles on: Drive Your Tractor to School Day, the story of Dakota Implement in Devils Lake, North Dakota, Tales from Massey Engineering, an Extended Letters from Richard Rains and Glen Haskell. And of course, eight pages of letters and photos sent in by Legacy readers.
Please take note that the October issue will feature Working Tractors. When we ran that feature last fall, the response was so great that it took us two issues to get all of the submissions published. We include them in the order in which we receive them. So, if you want to be in the October issue, get your submissions in right away. Anything that shows your tractor at work: pulling wagons, mowing, raking, plowing, discing, baling hay, or just entertaining the grandkids. As usual, we will include all submissions, even if we can’t get them all into the fall issue. Digital images are preferred but you can still send me prints if you wish. Be sure to take your photos in the horizontal position–not vertical–and send them full/actual size. If you have any questions, give us a call!
Also, if you still have–or have access to–the original tractors that you grew up with, let me know. I am working on a special project which I hope to put together if I have enough response. If you have an old photo of you as a child with this tractor, that would be even better.
Don’t forget that you can preorder your Legacy Quarterly calendars anytime. We will try to hold the price to what it was last year. With two postage increases, we’ll have to crunch some numbers.
Don’t forget that you can still order many of the back issues. We are out of several but many are still available. See the ad listed here: (7.)
Also, we have a nice selection of posters that are available. Click here to see a selection of the posters that are available.. Postal rates are changing so you will have to call for an exact price. The poster measure 12” high by 18” wide.