1. Agriculture – The Development of Technology
3.2

2. Early Tools
First farm tool was the digging stick that was used for digging roots and bulbs
Today, some parts of the world use only the digging stick and machete
Native Americans developed first agricultural tools
Stone axes
Fire-hardened sticks
Clam shells
Hoes

3. Bigger Machines to Prepare the Ground
Egyptians used 2 oxen to pull the plow
First plows were made of wood
1797 – N.J. farmer Charles Newbold invented a cast-iron plow
Thomas Jefferson designed moldboard plow to work in all soils
Has curved metal plate
1837 – John Deere invented steel plow
Could cut through heavy, sticky soil

4. Modern plows have a coulter (circular steel blade) which cuts through sod or debris at the surface
Gang plows have several coulters and moldboards and are pulled by tractors
The plow made it possible for fewer people to produce more food, it has also caused the loss of much topsoil

5. Machines for Planting
Wheat and barley were scattered by hand before the invention of the hand-cranked broadcast seeder
Grain drills are used on larger farms
No-till drills – cut through sod and plant seeds w/o plowing and making a seed bed
Jab planter – steel blade that is jabbed into the ground to make an opening for corn seed

6. Machines for Reaping Sickle was first tool for reaping
Scythe – larger blade w/ longer curved handle
Mechanical reaper (binder) was perfected, manufactured, and marketed by McCormick in 1831
Many couldn’t afford his machine so he allowed farmers to pay in installments
Helped provide money, food, and men necessary for North to win Civil War

7. Today combine harvesters are used to harvest all types of grain
Threshing machine separated grain from straw and the chaff (protective sheaths)
Today combine harvesters are used to harvest all types of grain
Combination reaper and harvester
Binders were replaced w/ mechanical corn harvester, the corn picker
Potato digger has a modified moldboard that digs and raises the potatoes onto prongs

8. More Food with Less Labor
1800s – 180 man-hours to produce 100 bushels of corn; 1900s – 4 man-hours to produce the same
Bigger and better machines
Hybrid corn was introduced in 1933
Better varieties of seeds and development of chemical fertilizers and chemicals to control diseases, weeds, and insects
1950 – each farmer produced food for 27 others; today each farmer produces food for 135 people