AREA FARMERS' CLASSIC TRACTOR RECEIVES NATIONAL RECOGNITION

STE. GENEVIEVE When Alfred and Jules Bourque purchased a new J.I. Case RC in 1936, they opted for a vehicle equipped with steel wheels.

"They had a choice," says John Bourque, who now owns the classic farm tractor. "It was available on either steel wheels or rubber tires."

The Bourque brothers Alfred was John's father who farmed together, paid $600 for the 2,600-pound, four-cylinder, gray machine.

The RC will be showcased on the April page of the 1992 Classic Farms Tractors Calendar, which is produced by Du Pont agricultural Products, maker of Classic soybean herbicide, Accent corn herbicide and other crop protection products.

The Case RC is one of about a half-dozen old tractors including a Farmall and a John Deere owned by John Bourque, who has gained national recognition for restoring the old Case.

Bourque and his wife, Dorothy, recently visited Mt. Pleasant, Iowa, where he showed the vehicle at the Case Expo Heritage event. He also displays the tractor each year at the Missouri State Fair in Sedalia, the Weingarten Picnic, and the Jour de Fete at Ste. Genevieve.

"The old RC was like a Cadillac after working behind mules," said Bourque. "This one has the original decals, including "Old Abe," the Case eagle which is perched on a globe."

Bourque said the RC "could turn on a dime and burned 30 to 35 gallons of gasoline during a hard day in the field."

The rear wheel tread was adjustable, from 44 inches to 80 inches in width, added Bourque. "Up front, a single wheel could be used, or dual, narrow-tread wheels were available."

For power, the RC uses a 4-cylinder Waukesha engine with a four-inch stroke.

"It was rated at 20 horsepower on the belt pulley, and 18 horsepower at the drawbar," said Bourque. "It has a hand clutch, instead of a foot pedal, to engage the three-speed transmission.

The calendar on which the Case RC will appear is printed with soybean oil-based inks noted John Harvey, Du Pont communications manager. "The 1992 edition is the third Classic Calendar produced by the company.

Harvey said hundreds of tractors were submitted for the calendar by classic tractor owners for the calendar.

"The hardest part of the producing the calendar was selecting 14 tractors," he said.

The oldest tractor to appear on the 1992 calendar is a 1912 Wallis Bear, owned by E. F. Schmidt of Bluffton, Ohio. Also on the list are two other teen-year vehicles a 1916 Sawyer-Massey, owned by Tom Stewart of Woodstock, Ontario, Canada, and a 1918 Wisconsin, owned by Frank Wurth, Freeburg, Ill.

A pair of John Deere tractors will be featured, a 1939 "H" model owned by Leonard Bruner, Rising City, Neb., and a 1928 "GP" model owned by James and Terry Thompson, Laurelville, Ohio.

Other tractors to be featured include a 1941 Farmall MD, owned by Alan Smith, McHenry, Ill.; 1 1930 Oliver Hart-Parr, owned by Dave Preuhs, LaCenter, Minn.; 1921 Samson Iron Horse, Eldon Coates, Zwingle, Iowa; 1941 McCormick-Deering 04, Steward Brothers, Springport, Mich.; 1938 Avery Ro-Trak, James Layton, Federalsburg, Md.; 1929 McCormick-Deering W-40, Powell Smith, Shelbyville, Tenn.; 1938 Fordson N, Richard Vogt, Enid, Okla.; and Minneapolis-Moline U, Roger Mohr, Vail, Ia.

The 1992 calendar, its companion full-color poster, and an hour-long videotape are available for purchase. Additional information is available by writing Classic Tractors, P.O. Box 1755, Wilmington, Delaware, 19899.