Expert: Richard Clark - 7/29/2003

Question
Please, explain me the following words and phrases,taken from the book "CRY ME A RIVER",by Ernest Hill:

What means "POTATO SETTER"?

j have taken the words and phrases above in the text below:

"JUST OUTSIDE THE SMALL VILLAGE OF EPPS,IT WAS A SLOW-MOVING PICK-UP TRUCK DRIVEN BY A MIDDLE-AGED MAN WITH CURLY BLACK HAIR. THERE WERE THREE BLACK BOYS RIDING IN THE BACK. ONE STOOD AGAINST THE CAB,AND THE OTHER TWO SAT ON THE RAILING. THEY WERE FARMHANDS.
HE COULD TELL BY THEIR DIRTY BODIES AND THEIR TATTERED CLOTHES. MAYBE THEY DROVE TRACTORS,OR HAULED HAY,OR TENDED LIVESTOCK. BUT MORE THAN LIKELY,THEY WORKED IN A POTATO FIELD;AFTER ALL THIS WAS POTATO SEASON,AND BY THEIR APPEARANCE,THEY HAD ALREADY SPENT THE EARLY PART OF THE MORNING RIDING A POTATO SETTER".

Thank you
Giuliano


Answer
Giuliano;
A "potato setter" would be a potato planter. From the age of the book, I would guess it would be the type of planter where you would cut the potato seed then drop it down a tube that would place it in the ground. It could be pulled by mules or a small tractor. When pulled it would open the ground for the seed and then close the furrow with disks. Some of them were one row or two rows, not like the eight row planters of today.
Any other questions, please feel free to ask.
Richard