Morris Rod Weeder - Western Development Museum - Yorkton, SK - Old Agricultural Equipment on Waymarking.com

The Morris Rod Weeder, invented in Bangor, Saskatchewan, was a revolutionary improvement on the conventional rod weeder, remaining in use to this day with little change. It worked by pulling a square rod of about 1 1/2" just below the surface of the soil, turning in the opposite direction to the direction of travel. The rod was driven by the machine's wheels.

The rod weeder was often bought and used as an attachment and fixed to the rear of a cultivator. It would aid in the control of weeds while cultivating. It was a very effective implement.

"In 1930 Mr. Geo. H. Morris made history in the Development of Agricultural Implements by producing this 8 ft. Horse Drawn Rod Weeder in Bangor, Saskatchewan. The unique feature of this unit is the protective trip mechanism which lifts the rod over field obstructions such as stones, stumps etc. This unit represents the forerunner of today's Morris Rod Weeder Equipment with working sizes ranging from 9 to 50 ft. Mechanical rod weeding efficiently destroys weeds by gently pulling them out and laying them on the soil surface to dry out and die."

George Morris history, from WDM: (edited)
George Morris was known to say that his 1929 rod weeder was just the "right thing at the right time." His progressive invention came not a moment too soon.

It was the dawn of the "Dirty Thirties" when George Morris patented a horse-drawn device that could uproot weeds with minimal disruption to the top layers of the soil. Morris embraced the concept of minimum tillage, which was not widely practiced by farmers at the time. Most changed their minds as they watched clouds of dry soil swirl from their fields during the Depression.

In 1930 George Morris sold his first Morris rod weeder to a farmer at Goodeve, Saskatchewan for $148. That sale launched what was to become one of Canada's largest family-owned farm equipment companies. In 1951 George Morris located and bought back one of his early rod weeders and donated it to the Western Development Museum, where it is display at the Yorkton WDM. He died in 1989.

Norman Roebuck of Yorkton was a long-time friend of Morris and is a fellow member of the Saskatchewan Agricultural Hall of Fame. Roebuck remembered when Morris first began to build the rod weeders in a tiny garage in Bangor, southeast of Yorkton.

"They were very primitive conditions where he was working," said Roebuck. "It was a small-town garage. I remember he came on horseback to my dad's place to sell his rod weeder."

George Morris was born in Bangor in 1904. He attended motor mechanics school in Winnipeg in the 1920s, and returned home to run a garage and tractor dealership. Among the equipment he often fixed were rod weeders.

In the 1920s, conventional rod weeders were horse-drawn machines with a cylindrical steel rod that was dragged several centimetres underground. The rod rotated as it moved along and uprooted any plants it encountered.

But machines made in other parts of North America were no match for some Saskatchewan areas of stubborn, rocky soil. When the steel rods hit stones, the rods often snapped or bent out of shape.

George Morris redesigned the rod weeder and patented a model with a special automatic "trip" mechanism in 1929. When the steel rod hit a rock, it would spring to the surface of the soil and miss the obstacle before automatically plunging into the ground once more.

Dr. Ron Ford, a retired professor of agricultural engineering at the University of Saskatchewan and a WDM supporter, explained that the rod weeder "was a response to provincial needs" to limit drifting soil.

"A lot of Saskatchewan has fine, silty soil and it is easy for the wind to get a hold of it," said Ford. "The rod weeder gave good weed control with minimum disturbance of the trash cover on top of the soil," he explained. With the soil's cover intact, moisture wasn't sapped as quickly and land remained productive.

Large equipment companies ignored Morris' invention at first, but it was very popular with Prairie farmers. In this 1930s, the rod weeder was manufactured at Portage La Prairie, Manitoba, and in 1949 Morris officially opened the Morris Rod-Weeder and Equipment Company in Yorkton, where it still operates as Morris Industries today.

George Morris continued to have an interest in inventions throughout his life, and he created other machines including a rotary snow blower. He held 15 Canadian patents for his various inventions.

Norman Roebuck recalled the Morris was always interested in finding ways to improve designs made by his own company.

"He used to call at dinner time and we'd go out into the field," said Roebuck. "He liked to have a look at how things were working and maybe take a picture," he said. "Even when we'd travel in places in Australia, we'd visit a lot of factories."

George Morris' contribution to Saskatchewan agriculture has been recognized through many awards, exhibits, and tributes. He is always noted as a pioneer and innovator who encouraged better farming through his entrepreneurial spirit.

Use or Purpose of Equipment: Control of weeds in grain fields Approximate age: 80 years Manufacturer and model: Morris Rod-Weeder and Equipment Company - 8 foot model Still in Use?: No Location: This is an example of the original horse drawn Morris Rod Weeder - on display at the Western Development Museum in Yorkton, Saskatchewan. Fee for Access: yes

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