Nice day for rock n roll...

or should I say a nice day to roll rocks.

I have lived in the Ozarks for 22 years and it took me approximately 10 years to figure out that it is not possible to pick up all the rocks in my fields. Even with the help of the grand-kids and neighbor kids, it is just not possible to get all those rocks up. Those who live in the Ozarks can relate to what I am saying. The rocks here in southern Missouri seem to breed. So it easier to just put them back where they come from.

Once I realized this fact, I bought a roller. The roller is 3" x 8" with a 1 7/8" wall. It weighs in at 8800 pounds empty. I know this as I weighed it on the way home when I bought it. It can be filled with water, but I can barely pull it empty. I would most likely be in for the ride of my life if I tried to pull it on these hills filled with water.

A rock roller is good for other things, as well as putting rocks back in the ground. It will flatten most everything you pull it over. It will smash and spread cow pies very well. It helps to control the mole population as it can flatten them right in their tunnels... it flattens their tunnels, too. It frequently makes large rocks into smaller rocks, which to makes them easier to get back into the ground.

Discing fields here in the Ozarks always brings rocks to the surface. After I disc my fields, and put my seed out, I roll the field to push the rocks back in again.

I would like to hear from anyone who also uses rollers on their fields.

Bob

Just to edit what I wrote: obviously I meant to say 3 foot by 8 foot for the size of the roller. You would think I could edit my typo's by now. ha

Back when the kids were still at home, we used to be reclaiming or reseeding another field every two-three years. We would pick up all rocks the size of a softball or larger. The smaller ones seemed to be pushed down into the soil nicely by the Brillion seeder. Some rocks were too big for the kids to carry so they would roll them to the bucket. We called rock picking "rock'n roll. We reclaimed two pieces that had grown up for brush primarily for pasture. Dragging brush to the pile to burn was called "brush rush". My daughter was a driving force behind this because the hay and pasture were for our sheep which she had been the driving force in getting us started in. Her best friend visited fairly frequently and would take part in these field games when we had one of these projects going. She apparently had the impression that I was the one whose project we were working on, because I heard her say one day to my daughter, "I'm glad my dad isn't so much fun."

Where did you purchase a roller like that and for how much?
I have had this idea of rolling my alfalfa fields to squish the alfalfa weevil eggs. If you drive a truck or tractor through the field after the last cutting of hay, the eggs are smashed and the alfalfa grows nice and green there in the spring. The weevil eggs hatch at the base of the alfalfa and walk upwards on that same plant. Stopping at the leaves for a salad bar that is open 24 hours a day. They do not move around plant to plant. So if you make a turn in the field with an 18 wheeler, you can still see the turn path in the spring. Sure would beat the use of insecticide once or twice in the spring.

Where I used to live I always got 100 bushel to the acre. Corn 100bu, soys 100bu, wheat 100bu. Always 100bu of ROCKS!!

A roller does works great for pushing the smaller rocks into the ground, Levels the ground ahead of drilling. Before we worked this field you could not even drive a pickup over it.

Where are you at Bob, I'm just west of Springfied. I can dig a hole on my place and nothing but black dirt. Move over 5 ft and you cant even drive a bar in the ground its so hard and full of rocks.

Oh you can pick up all the rocks, it's just you won't have anything left in the field if you do! Pick the best, roll the rest.

Didn't you know for every rock you pick up 2 float up and out of the ground to replace then one you picked up?? Yep one thing you can say for sure about Misery is you have lots of rocks and non are worth much of any thing

I made a rubber tire packer using truck tires and 20 inch gas pipe. Can be filled with water for more weight. I use it behind the grain drill. Reduces alfalfa seed needed to about 8-10 lbs per acre. Common practice in recent years here to roll bean fields after planting, pushing the rocks down so the auto header works better. Most units are 3 piece, about 40 feet wide.

As I posted the other day, I have used a cultipacker behind my grain drill for many years. It rolls down smaller rocks and presses soil firmly around seed for better germination, at least most of the time. I started picking up rocks on this place 39 years ago and haven't found them all yet!

We"re SW of Springfield. Around the house it takes a sledge, pry bar, lots of splitting rocks and prying the pieces out just to plant a little tree. Plowing isn"t TOO bad, the JD plow trips out every so oftern, but not too bad.

I am south of Norwood, which is southeast of Springfield.

I bought this roller about 10 years ago. I had it built for around $3000.00. It has been worth every penny. It has saved a lot of wear and tear on my bush hog. Over the years, my bush hog has made many large rocks into small rocks.

A couple of my friends roll their alfalfa twice a year. They say that by breaking the stem down low, it causes the alfalfa to bush out more and become thicker. I do not know how this works out as I do not grow alfalfa. They have bottom fields and can grow it where I cannot. But that is another story...