| Historic Timeline
The following is a historic timeline of the Burrus family and the growth of the company that
bears their name:
1919
Roy, 29, and Wilbur Burrus, 27, purchase farmland for $400/acre and trade farms
with their father, Alexander Burrus. This land became the first farm for producing Burrus Hybrids and is still
used today.
1927
The Burrus brothers buy their first steel-wheel tractor.
1931
There is no mechanical harvest, so all corn is picked by hand.
1934
Crop rotation is utilized because no fertilizer is available.
Introduction of Hybrid Corn
Roy and Wilbur Burrus work closely with the University of Illinois Extension of
County Farm Advisors in a series of meetings held throughout the area touting hybrid corn. The Burrus brothers
are strong advocates of the Extension Service, including the 4-H program. During the meetings, the Extension Service
sells the new hybrid seed corn so farmers could produce their own. This marks the beginning of the Burrus Hybrid
corn business.
Invasion of Chinch Bugs
An extremely dry year means chinch bugs become a nuisance. Because chemicals are
not available to treat the insects, creative methods are invented and readily used to reduce the damaging results
of infestation.
The Burrus brothers start the process by pulling a bush behind a team of horses
to reduce the fields from clods to dust. Then, they take creosote, the same used today, and go around the field,
and from a spout, they make a string of creosote about a half-inch wide. They take a posthole digger and dig postholes
about two feet deep every 50 feet.
As the bugs move out of the grain and corn as it dries, they migrate to the cornfield
for green food. When they come to this creosote barrier, they won't cross it because it would kill them. Instead,
they start down the barrier until they come to the postholes and then fall into the holes. When the holes are filled
with bugs, the brothers cover them with dirt.
1935
Roy and Wilbur Burrus purchase their first tractor, a Farmall F20, the first
tractors to have rubber tires. The tractor makes the tedious tasks of farming a little easier for the already hardworking
men and women.
Roy and Wilbur's farm land grows to 618 acres total.
Roy and Wilbur acquire enough foundation seed to produce one acre of hybrid seed
production to sell to their neighbors and use themselves. It was new and untested, so one acre was all the Burrus
brothers could gamble on.
Burrus takes their new corn to Columbiana Farms to get it graded and sized.
Roy and Wilbur Burrus show hogs in Chicago at the International Stock Show. Fifty
hogs were considered a carload, or what you could load into a railroad car. In 1935, a 200-lb. hog brought $5.00.
1936
Roy and Wilbur Burrus increase production from one acre to five acres of hybrid
seed corn.
Grasshoppers Invasion
Creative methods are used to save crops from grasshoppers that menaced and ravaged
corn leaves across the country. The grasshoppers would congregate in the green corn, so Burrus has the local tin
man make a Hopper Dozer that fit on the bumper of a car or truck. As they drive through the field, the lip of the
hopper would hit the clover causing the grasshoppers to jump hitting tin and fall into kerosene water, killing
them.
1937
Burrus has 20 acres of hybrid seed corn production.
1938
Roy and Wilbur Burrus start "selling" hybrid seed corn in one-bushel
bags for $6.50/bushel (from 1938 to 1970, corn is packaged in either one-bushel bags or 50-lb. sacks).
Roy and Wilbur buy their first International M tractor that is displayed at the
Illinois State Fair for $900.
In the fall, the Burrus brothers borrow $10,000 to build a facility on the current
site where they can shell, store, bag, and grade hybrid seed corn. The building has a 3,000-bushel drying capacity
at one fill. Coal-fired furnaces and a fan provide heat and air as needed. A 7.5-HP motor provides power. This
motor is replaced by a tractor used to power the fan and eventually a Catepillar motor for year-round use.
A turnout of 100 bags a day was good in this new facility. At this time, Burrus
also has a used cleaner and a new grading machine (both length and width graders).
There is one corner set aside for office space, where they have a desk, safe,
counter, adding machine, and coal stove, but no restroom facilities.
Burrus sews the seed bags by hand with thick cotton thread and a needle.
Hybrid corn produces at least 80 bushels per acre while the average yield of
commercial corn is 60 bushels per acre.
After the Depression, there were more people than work. Burrus pays $1.50 a day,
so for a week's worth of work, the employees earn $9.00.
All corn is shucked by hand. Two to three people shuck together and then send
a load to the plant.
1939
Tuesday, June 20th, Associated Growers is formed during a meeting at the Farm
Bureau office in Jacksonville, Ill. The name, Burrus Brothers and Associated Growers, is adopted.
Burrus builds a 40' x 40' warehouse storage building on its current site to hold
bags of seed. In the building, there is one leg [a bucket on drive to carry hybrid seed corn up]. They pipe the
seed down, put it in bags, and put it in the warehouse. When it is time to grade it, they bring the bags to the
grading building, dump it, and put it in bags that are ready to be sold.
1940
With only 20 acres of seed corn production, the corn business is still a sideline
business for Burrus.
Burrus hires its first employee, Carlton Schumacher, as sales manager for $100/month.
He remains with Burrus until his retirement in 1976.
Martin Burrus, after completing his sophomore year at the University of Illinois,
comes home to help out with company accounting as bookkeeper and plant manager. He is paid $100/month. With his
help and organization, employees' salaries are raised to $2.00 per day.
Burrus adds drying bins and grading equipment to the plant.
Burrus purchases its first International Harvester two-row corn picker. The machines
are used until 1946.
Burrus has four full-time employees.
Orval Fricke joins Burrus Seed Farms and works full time until his retirement
40 years later, at which point he worked part time for an additional 13 years during peak times. Orval's tenure
totaled 53 years.
Burrus has a dispersion sale, bringing an end to their shorthorn cattle business.
The sale is successful. The cattle bring about $200 a head and the top bull brings $500.
1941
Delbert Frye joins Burrus before the war and stays with the company until his
death in 1989.
1942
Burrus purchases first electric sewing machine for closing bags of seed that
were previously hand-sewn. Because of the war, Burrus is required to get a $200 government permit to make the purchase.
Burrus builds its office facility on the current site. The original block building
has a concrete floor, restrooms facilities, storage, and offices. It costs $1,500 to build and is finished in July.
Burrus hires its first female employee, Kathryn Lakamp, who works for Burrus
from 1942 until she retires in 1980.
Edwin Dixon joins the Burrus sales staff and travels in western Illinois and
Missouri until he passed away in 1969. His son Gene now manages his late father's territory.
1944
On December 16, Wilbur Burrus, 52, dies.
Martin Burrus returns from medical school at Johns Hopkins to run the family
business.
Burrus forms a three-way partnership between Martin Burrus, Roy Burrus, and Robert
(Rob) Burrus.
1946
Burrus purchases a two-row New Idea Corn Picker.
Burrus purchases its first detasseling machine, a Finco, which can carry six
people to hand detassel a row per person.
The soybean is introduced from the Orient, becoming a major crop after World
War II.
Fertilizer becomes available for crops.
Ready to grow and increase business, Roy, Rob, and Martin Burrus decide to handle
the seed with conveyors and store it as loose corn. By deepening the drying bins and raising the roof, they increase
drying capacity from 3,000 bushels to 4,000 bushels. They also enlarge the east warehouse to approximately 24 bins
in the building and put in flat conveyors to accommodate shelled corn. At this time, Burrus adds grading machinery
with bins located below the graders for greater efficiency.
1947
Burrus builds a storage building to accommodate the 40,000 bushels of seed corn
to meet the demand for contract production by the Earl May Seed Company.
1949
Wooden stilts made by the Crawford Lumber Company in Jacksonville are used for
detasseling for the final year.
1951
Roy Burrus, 61, dies on November 17 to leave Martin and Rob Burrus as the owners.
1954
Record temperatures and drought blast the tassels into sterility. Therefore,
there was no seed production in this year. It is almost like the corn is cooking in the field. On July 16th, the
temperature is recorded at 116 degrees.
1960
Burrus uses its first "moveable pipe" irrigation system.
Burrus raises 51,000 bushels of hybrid seed corn. This is the first crop to exceed
50,000 bushels.
Burrus adds a fourth floor with a main lift to the already three-story grading
tower. A second leg is installed and the grading set-up is also revamped in an attempt to save on labor.
1962
Troy Wood covers the western Missouri territory until he retired in 1967.
1967
Burrus purchases Monier Seed Farms farmer-dealer organization.
Roger Monier joins the Burrus sales team.
Burrus begins selling 80,000-kernel units on single crosses only.
1969
Burrus purchases its first forklift and moves to palletized handling of bags.
Burrus builds a 100' x 60' concrete block warehouse to handle pallets. The building
is still utilized today.
Gene Dixon takes over the territory his father managed as a Burrus regional sales
manager.
The Southern Corn Leaf blight attached all varieties containing the race T sterile
cytoplasm.
1970
Burrus seed production was with six hybrids all 100% normal cytoplasm to sell
in 1971.
1971
Tom Burrus graduated from college and returned to the production crew.
1972
Martin buys out Robert's part of the seed business and sells Tom and Todd one
quarter interest each.
Burrus purchases Larson detasseling machines, which are still used at Burrus
facilities today.
Burrus' yields in the production fields go down and the price jumps up. They
put in-bred seed in the production field and sell seed corn at about $30 per unit.
Burrus introduces Interplant seed production replacing the traditional 6:2 planting
pattern. They plant female on every 38 inch row and every other pair of females, they put a male pollinator on
a 19-inch center. So, there is a female then 19" to male then 19" female then 38" to the next female
row. This means a greater advantage over many companies.
Burrus learns to grow the in-breds at high populations in order for them to yield.
This system utilizes 100% of the land inside the isolation barrier rather than 75% in the old 6:2 system or 80%
in the 4:1 planting pattern. Interplant also allows for better pollen distribution with the male never more than
19" away from a female plant.
1973
Burrus purchases the first Uniharvester Corn Picker, a three-row self-propelled
harvester.
The price of seed corn surpasses $30/unit.
1974
Burrus Seed Farms is Incorporated, and its ownership is equally divided among
Martin, Tom, and Todd.
1975
Burrus builds a concrete block drier with a single-pass reversible drying system.
It has a propane-fired dryer, dump pit, husking facilities, and a stationary sheller.
Burrus builds a concrete block dryer to fill the need for additional and more
modern drying space. The dryer contains a huge fan and a propane-fired burner. They can handle, dump, and sort more
corn and dry faster. They also acquire a stationary sheller. These additions are the first big investments in buildings.
Although the new building offers more drying space and capacities, their business still demands that they store
some of the seed in the older buildings.
1976
Burrus adds on to their office building.
1978
Bob Chamberlain begins as a salesman for the Northern Illinois territory.
1979
Burrus installs and implements its first center-pivot irrigation system covering
300 acres with a corner system.
1980
Burrus is hit by a drought.
Burrus builds a bulk warehouse and attaches it to the concrete block drier. It
is the first to have deep bins and "let-down" ladders.
1982
Dale Wood joins the Burrus sales team to provide service in western Missouri.
He increased sales ten fold in the nine years he worked part time for Burrus before being killed in a traffic accident
in October 1990.
1983
Burrus is hit by a drought again.
1985
Burrus builds a new sizing tower. It has the ultimate in cleaning capabilities.
It also features a potato chip elevator leg, called an Assecco leg, to minimize seed corn damage.
1986
Larry Strohbeck and Richard Burns join the Burrus sales team.
1987
Main frame computer installed in office to handle order entry, billing, mailing
lists, and plots.
1988
Burrus is hit by a drought and raises seed in the winter in Florida to bolster
its supply.
Burrus adds on to the bulk-seed storage they built in 1980.
1989
Bill Fugate joins the Burrus sales team.
1990
Troy Wood joins the Burrus sales team.
Ed Curley joins the Burrus sales team.
1991
Tim Greene joins the Burrus organization first in production, and later in sales
and management.
1992
Burrus decides to increase the drying and sorting capacity. They go to a "husk-on"
harvest and add a pit, husk and sort facility, dryer, and shuck accumulation area.
1993
Burrus begins using Byron 6-row sweet corn harvesters.
1994
Burrus introduces the first Extra Energy hybrid, 980XE.
Burrus adds two implement sheds and the east warehouse to its site, creating
a dock, storage area, and a heated area for advertising materials.
M.G. Kennedy joins the Burrus sales team.
1995
Burrus introduces the first IMI herbicide resistant hybrid, BX70AT.
Jason Berg joins the Burrus sales team.
1996
Burrus introduces the first TOPCROSS® BLEND to produce High Oil Corn, BX70TC.
Burrus demolishes its original buildings that include the original grading tower,
ear corn drier, and storage.
1997
Burrus offers its first YieldGard® CornBorer Bt hybrid for sale, 774Bt.
Burrus introduces the first Liberty Link® hybrid. 575LL was resistant to
Liberty herbicide.
Burrus constructs its new research building that contains warehousing for palletized
delivery, a 70-foot truck scale, conference rooms, offices, and a work room.
1999
Burrus introduces the first Roundup Ready® corn hybrid, 671RR.
Burrus offers a revolutionary method of creating high, high yield (BX65 yield)
with high, high oil content (above 8% oil) from the TOPCROSS® system, new 560TC3.
2000
Introduced the first YieldGard® Corn Borer Bt TOPCROSS® BLEND, 639BtTC.
2001
Burrus introduces Gaucho® and Prescribe® seed treatments available on
limited Burrus Hybrids.
Brad Veale is added the Burrus sales team to better serve customers and dealers
throughout Illinois and Missouri.
Over 650 school-aged kids are employed for summer detasseling with Burrus.
2002
Burrus launches the first stacked technology with one hybrid containing YieldGard®
Corn Borer Bt and Roundup Ready® resistance, 628BtRR.
Burrus constructs new shop for off-season equipment maintenance. It uses a corn-burning
furnace for heat. Grain from regulated research projects will be disposed of in an environmentally sound method.
2003
Burrus launches first YieldGard® Corn Rootworm protected hybrids.
Burrus offers new seed treatments on most Burrus Hybrids. SuperStart®, Poncho
Xtra® and High Rate Poncho® are available on a more limited hybrid selection at a nominal additional cost.
The introduction of YieldGard Plus technology that has both European and Southwestern
Corn Borer protection and Corn Rootworm protection in the seed with two Bt genes. This is the first year Burrus
offers a combination of YieldGard Corn Borer protection, Roundup Ready technology, and by adding the High rate Poncho
seed treatment, pickup Corn Rootworm control, all on or in the seed! When Growers think of technology, they obviously
should THINK BURRUS!
2004
Burrus lauches the BOSS 24/7 Burrus Online Support System available 24 hours
a day, seven days a week. It is password protected for Burrus dealers so they can access all of their account
information. Seed on order, what has shipped, payments, prepayments and ordering online are available at all
times. The BOSS 24/7 automatically computes any discounts and does not allow a product to be ordered that is not
available.
Burrus launches its first Herculex I hybrid 679HL that has protection from European
and Southwestern Corn Borer, Black Cutworm, and Western Bean Cutworm. In addition, it uses the Liberty herbicide
resistance as a marker gene, which makes this technology resistant too. Herculex I is a registered trade mark
of Dow AgroSciences.
Burrus launches its first Waxy hybrid 504WX. It will provide grain for premiums
in some markets where waxy grain is identity preserved.
Burrus made major plant improvements, by adding new technology Satake color sorters
and additional bagged warehouse space.
Gary Wenger joins Burrus to cover the territory in central Ill. previously served
by the Dixon family.
Gene Dixon retires after 35 years with Burrus. He followed his father Edwin
Dixon after he died of a heart attack in 1969. Edwin had been with Burrus from 1939 to 1969. This 65-year service
record for the Dixons to serve Burrus dealers is a record that is not likely to be challenged by any family or
seed company.
Martin Burrus passes away on December 30, 2004. See his obituary.
2005
Burrus launches the first YieldGard Rootworm/Roundup Ready hybrid 793RWR.
Burrus sets new all-time volume records again.
Fourth generation of family ownership begins when Kevin Burrus (Todd's son) and
Tim Greene (Tom's son-in-law) join them as owners of Burrus Seed Farms, Inc.
Burrus produces it first Triple Stack hybrid Burrus 796T that contains YieldGard
Corn Borer, Rootworm, and Roundup Ready technology all in each seed. Because Poncho Xtra (250) is applied to this
seed, growers have the ultimate in protection from insects.
2006
Drought exaggerated the damage from corn rootworm in Illinois. Burrus introduces two YieldGard Plus/Roundup Ready 2 Hybrids, five YieldGard Rootworm/Roundup Ready 2 Hybrids, three YieldGard Plus choices, as well as continuing to offer three YieldGard Rootworm selections.
Burrus committed huge resources to seed production in Chile and Argentina to boost supply of stacked tract rootworm protected seed.
Kevin Bauman joins Burrus. |
