Harvesting Grain, Landisville, Pennsylvania

Wow, great photograph of farming over one hundred years ago! The telegraph/telephone pole in the back ground is leaning dangerously - but how did they even secure poles like that before post hole diggers?
I’ve never heard of the word “shocks” before to describe haystacks. Is that a Pennsylvanian usage or an “out of New England” expression?
Alan, have a good week and thank you for posting the August (and every month's) VPTP themes! You are very appreciated!

Thanks, Deborah! I'm not sure about "shocks" -- what I'm thinking of is more vertical than piled up horizontally. Wikipedia describes it like this: "Before mechanical harvesting became the norm, a common agricultural practice was to manually cut sheaves of grain, tie them in bundles, and stack them against one another vertically to form a 'shock' so that they could air dry."

I think that's what in the background of the photo but I could be wrong. Some of the Amish in central Pennsylvania still do this with corn -- the fields in the fall look picturesque with shocks of cornstalks.

I'm not sure of the exact location of this field, but I grew up along Nissley Road in sight of the farms in this area. Most of the farmhouses and barns have been torn down in the last few decades, and developments with hundreds of houses have taken their place.

I noticed the pole that looks like it's tipping over, and I'm not certain how they put those up. I suspect that the poles carried telephone lines.

And thanks for your kind words about VPTP! I know that I don't respond to posts and comments as readily as I'd like to, but I do appreciate your and Rick's weekly contibutions to the group.

Thanks, Alan

Outstanding vintage farming capture!

Thanks, William!

"Wow" also from me. Beautiful historical farming photo. A reminder of how many people were involved in harvesting a crop.

Thanks, Rick! I was amazed when I found this at a local postcard show. Farming practices have certainly changed since this photo was taken about a century ago!

Outstanding vintage capture.