Agricultural Implements and Machines in the Collection of the National Museum of History and Technology: Smithsonian Studies in History and Technology, No. 17Schlebecker, John T.
History
Agricultural Implements and Machines in the Collection of the National Museum of History and Technology: Smithsonian Studies in History and Technology, No. 17
Schlebecker, John T.
Agricultural implements -- United States -- Exhibitions; Agricultural machinery -- United States -- Exhibitions
48. Old Colony Strong Plow, 1740. USNM 161555; 1941. The moldboard of
this plow is made of wood and covered with thick pieces of iron. The
plow has a lock colter and wrought-iron share fitted on the end of a
wooden beam. Pelatiah Kinsman of Ipswich, Massachusetts, had the plow
made in 1740. It represents the New England open-drawn plows of that
time. Gift of United States Department of Agriculture.
49. Old Colony Plow, 1783. USNM 161555; 1941. This plow resembles the
Old Colony Strong Plow (No. 48) but it is not as large and the moldboard
is covered with uniform, narrow iron straps. Farmers used this plow for
cross-plowing after initial breaking by the Strong Plow and for
cultivating. It probably was drawn by oxen. John Foster, a corporal in
the Revolutionary Army, had this implement made at Ipswich,
Massachusetts, in 1783. Gift of United States Department of Agriculture.
50. Tavenner Plow, between 1810 and 1860. USNM 161555; 1941. The
Tavenner plow has a cast-iron moldboard and a wrought-iron share and
colter. Plows of this type were made and used widely in Loudon County,
Virginia. Gift of United States Department of Agriculture.
51. Smith Plow, about 1800. USNM 161555; 1941. This sod-turning plow has
its landside, moldboard, and colter in separate pieces. It was built on
the lines of a plow patented by Robert Smith in 1800. Gift of United
States Department of Agriculture.
52. Gideon Davis Plow, about 1825. USNM 161555; 1941. Gideon Davis
received a patent in 1825 for his improvements of the Newbold plow
patented in 1797. In tests in 1825 to determine the efficiency of
different plows, the Davis plow took first place in a competition with
five others. Gift of United States Department of Agriculture.
53. Woodcock Plow, about 1848. USNM 161555; 1941. The Woodcock plow has
separate landside, moldboard, share, cutter, and point. This plow has
the first reversible point. Woodcock plows were first used in 1847, in
Maryland. Gift of United States Department of Agriculture.
[Illustration: Figure 6.--Eagle plow, about 1849. (Catalog No. 54.)]
54. Eagle Plow, 1849. USNM 161555; 1941. The Number 25 Eagle Plow, which
first appeared in the catalog of the J. Nourse Company in 1849, became
the standard plow of New England after the middle of the 19th century.
Its moldboard was based on a design worked out by Thomas Jefferson. Gift
of United States Department of Agriculture.
55. Mexican Plow, about 1890. USNM 161555; 1941. This Mexican bull
tongue plow has an iron shoe on the point and it closely resembles
Spanish plows of the 16th century. It was intended to be pulled by an ox
and to break the soil for only three or four inches at the most. Gift
of United States Department of Agriculture.
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