History of American Farm Technology

1. History of American Farm Technology Foundations of Agriculture and Natural Resources

2. 16th – 18th Centuries Oxen and horses for power Crude wooden plows, all sowing by hand, Cultivating by a hoe Hay and grain cutting with a sickle and threshing with flail

3. 1776-1799 1790 Cradle and Scythe Introduced 1793 Invention of the cotton gin 1794 Thomas Jefferson’s Moldboard plow tested 1797 Charles Newbold patented first cast-iron plow

4. 1800-1829 1819 Jethro wood patented iron plow with interchangeable parts 1819-1825 U.S. Food canning industry established

5. 1830’s 1830 About 250-300 labor hours required to produce 100 bushels of wheat (Five Acres).

6. 1834 McCormick reaper patented John Lane began to manufacture plows faced with steel blades

7. 1837 John Deere and Leonard Andrus began manufacturing steel plows

8. 1840 1840’s the growing use of factory made agricultural machinery increased farmers’ need for cash and encouraged commercial farming

9. 1840’s 1841 Practical grain drill patented 1842 First grain elevator, Buffalo, NY 1844 Practical mowing machine patented 1847 Irrigation began in Utah 1849 Mixed Chemical Fertilizers sold commercially

10. 1850’s 1850 about 75-90 labor hours required to produce 100 bushels of corn 2 ½ acres 1850-1870 Expanded market for agproducts brought adoption of improved technology and resulting increase in farm production

11. 1850’s 1854 Self governing windmill perfected 1856 2 horse straddle row cultivator patented

12. 1860’s Change from hand power to horse 1865-75 Gang plows and sulky plows came into use 1868 Steam tractors were tried out Spring tooth harrow or seedbed preparation appeared

13. 1870’s • 1870’s silos came into use • Deep well Drilling first widely used • 1874 Glidden barbed wire patented • Availability of barbed wire allowed fencing of rangeland, ending era of unrestricted open-range grazing

14. 1880’s William Deering put 3000 twine binders on the market 1884-90 Horse drawn combine used in Pacific coast wheat areas

15. 1890’s • 1890-95 • Cream separators came into wide use • 1890-99 Average annual consumption of commercial fertilizer 1,845,900 tons

16. 1890’s Agriculture became increasingly mechanized and commercialized 1890 35-40 labor hours required to produce 100 bushels of corn 2 ½ acres

17. 1900’s 1900-1909 Average annual consumption of commercial fertilizer 3,738,300 tons 1900-1910 George Washington Carver, pioneered in new uses for peanuts, sweet potatoes, and soybeans, thus helping to diversify southern agriculture

18. 1910’s 1910-1915 Big open geared gas tractor came into use in areas of extensive farming 1915-20 Enclosed gears developed for tractors 1918 Small prairie-type combine with auxiliary engine introduced

19. 1920’s 1920-1929 Average annual consumption of commercial fertilizer 6,845,800 tons 1920-40 Gradual increase in farm production resulting from expanded use of mechanized power 1926 Successful light tractor developed

20. 1930’s 1930 One farmer supplied 9.8 persons in the United States and abroad 15-20 Labor hours required to produce 100 bushels of corn

21. 1940’s 1945 Change from horses to tractors – The second great ag. Revolution 10-14 labor hours required to produce 100 bushels of corn

22. 1950’s 1950-59 Average annual consumption of commercial fertilizer 22,340,666 1950 One farmer supplied 15.5 persons in the U.S. and abroad

23. 1950’s 1954 Number of tractors on farms exceeded the number of horses and mules for the first time 1955 6½ labor hours required to produce 100 acres of wheat

24. 1960’s 1960 One farmer supplied 25.8 persons in the United States and abroad 1965 5 labor hours required to produce 100 bushels of wheat 1965 Federal loans and grants for water/sewer systems began

25. 1970’s 1970 No tillage Ag. Popularized One farmer supplied 75.8 persons in the U.S. and abroad 1975 3½ labor hours required to produce 100 bushels of corn

26. 1980-1990 1980’s More farmers use no till or low till 1987 2 ¾ hours required to produce 100 bushels of corn 1 1/8th acre 1989 More farmers began to use low input sustainable agriculture to decrease chemical applications