Some more from 1914 Advertising, and San Jose Library 

Here is a mock up of a 5 roller 7U, the tandem pull ridger AND a check filler/blocker. It is lacking a trip rope for the blocker; this one was a copy of a Nelson Mfg. by Woods Mfg., the originator of the “Woods Tree Squirrel” pruning tower. Most guys left them off until it was time to make the second finish pass, and used both a left and right side. They saved you a lot of shoveling!
Valley View Packing (a former neighbor) had a fleet of these operated by a skilled crew of Filipino Cat skinners; those guys were famous for their huge sombreros and great big cigars!
***No front knockers on this D4***

Check filler - that would have been nice addition.
Ones I knew had a #2 stamped on the business end and a wooden handle!

Very nice pictures and explanation.
I enjoyed seeing the previous photo's also, the checkers, and even a wooden "float", predated the "landplanes".

Nelson, I always wondered who made those little Fresno scraper style blockers. When I see the name Nelson I am getting some flashbacks to the Nelson and Renaul pickup bumpers from the 70’s and 80’s.


When my older brother got into custom Dairy planting he ended up building a hydraulic controlled toolbar behind his three point ridger with a set of blockers made from a disc plow blade on a HD tillage standard / shank. Went to a few Martella auctions in the Sac valley about 20 - 25 years ago with him looking for an automatic Nikkel / Buffalo blocker.

#2 was not a pencil either... we could tell how good a shovel was by the amount of use it got. Everyone had their favorite. Mine was cut down with a torch and sharpened with an L head grinder. Good memories; as much work as it was, flood irrigation was my dad's favorite job on the farm. It was a never ending cycle here; put up irrigation checks, irrigate, dry out, knock down, cultivate, repeat.
My brother made a blocker using an "A" frame toolbar and 3 blades welded to a standard just like CR; Howard Woods might be one of the first guys to make hydraulic blockers that were affixed to the back of a three point ridger. Those became quite popular. Ruenel Mfg. was short for Ruesser/Nelson; I can't remember if a family member ventured off to make only bumpers. Nelson still builds the famous Hardie spray rigs here and are the premier ones to own and operate. They built a lot of well engineered farm implements. RimRock Mfg. is another local that builds a lot of cool stuff.
Amazing how orchard farming has evolved. Hardly anyone flood irrigates anymore. Conservation of precious water and ease of farming with drip. 50 years ago they told me I was full of it, and it would not be possible!
Good memories. Thanks for the comments. JM

A ridger variant was the disk furrower, very common in California citrus orchards back when furrows and flood irrigation was standard.  But starting in the late '50's most growers switched to non-cultivation and herbicides.

Sometimes disk furrowers had a contoured sheet steel shield on top to prevent limb and fruit damage, since they ran slightly underneath the tree canopies. Disk furrowers were raised by rope via a dog-catch on the wheels, but some growers modified them for hydraulics.  Cutting deep furrows was easy after disking, no weed-clogging as when using a shovel furrower.  A small crawler like a 15, 22, or D2 was needed. The little Fords and Fergusons of that era did not have enough power for a disk furrower, but would hum along quickly using a 2 or 3 shank shovel furrower.

Most all disk furrowers have been scrapped now. Long ago I converted a few into 3-point furrowers for resale to small vegetable plot farmers (last 3 photos).

Interesting thread, thanks.

NAA Ford pulled 3 shovel furrows, biggest issue was the shovels would catch the walnut roots. That disc style would have avoided that issue as it would put up small checks, all that would have been needed.
Thanks for sharing.
CTS

Cat Spotter nice to see your custom 3 point caterpillar again.

Wow, Cat Spotter; I would love to own one of those antique bedders to use in my garden. Making me think about planting several rows of asparagus! Thank you, JM.