Have you ever seen a seeder like this one?

[Mark Schneider]

I ran across this interesting horse seeder in rural ND this summer. I've seen quite a few horse corn planters before but this is the first time I've seen one with square seed boxes and flat wheels.
I'm guessing it may predate 1900. Anyone out there with any info on this one?
Thanks in advance.
Mark

[Fred Van Hook]

Interesting History....

The American Seeding Machine Company was organized in 1903 through a merger that together many competing companies. The partners in the 1903 American Seeding Machine merger included the Hoosier Drill Company of Richmond, Indiana.

The Hoosier Drill Company was started by Joseph Ingels in 1857 and operated at Milton, Indiana until 1868 when the company was reorganized as the Hoosier Drill Company. They manufactured, at first, corn planting drills (hollow spikes that 'drilled' into the ground and deposited a seed) and then broadcast seeders.

P.P. Mast and Company, of Springfield, Ohio was another member of the American Seeding merger. This company was formed in 1856 by John Thomas and P.P. Mast, under the name Thomas and Mast. They built grain drills and cider presses, but during the 1860s they expanded their manufacturing line by introducing cultivators and other implements. During 1871 Thomas and Mast dissolved their partnership, being then known as P.P. Mast and Company. This company built the Buckeye Drill.14

Several other drill manufacturers made up the 1903 merger under American Seeding Machine Company. Superior Drill Company, Empire Drill Company, and Bickford & Huffman were also merged (with the previously mentioned companies) into the American Seeding Machine and lost their individual identities in the 1929 merger into the Oliver Farm Equipment Company

The Oliver Farm Equipment Company was formed in April 1929, through the merger of American Seeding Machine Company, Hart-Parr Tractor Company, Nichols & Shepard Company, and Oliver Chilled Plow Works.

[mschreiber]

fyi. if the implement scratches the dirt for the seed tobe placed, it's a planter or drill. if the seed is placed on the soil by some means, its a seeder.

[Mark Schneider]

So is this basically a Hoosier planter that renamed after the American Seeding merger? The cast iron end plates on the seed boxes look suspiciously like the same pattern that Hoosier used on their grain drills.
I thought it unusual that a planter of this vintage would have disc openers....almost all the horse corn planters I've seen had the shoe type.
Fred - I appreciate the research!
Mark

[Scott]

I see this style of seeder, but not with those individual boxes . This is an American seeder also

[Mark Schneider]

Scott
Do you know if the planter pictured in your post has the original paint scheme? That machine is in really nice condition!
Mark

[Scott]

I don't know about the paint. I've seen some original ones and they had some pretty elaborate pin stripping and lettering all over the wood planter box. This one actually sold at auction yesterday for about $125.