Agricultural Implements and Machines in the Collection of the National Museum of History and Technology: Smithsonian Studies in History and Technology, No. 17 — John Shaqi
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
Plant and animal importation, improvement of breeds, and discoveries in
genetics, soil chemistry, the use of fertilizers, and in controlling
plant and animal diseases all helped the living things which form the
basis of farming yield. Grain farmers not only had to have a wheat which
yielded well but a wheat which resisted the attacks of nature. For
example, Turkey Red wheat, introduced in 1873 by Mennonites from Russia,
not only survived drought and yielded well but provided the genetic
elements for newer breeds of wheat. The farmer not only wanted
good-producing meat cattle, such as the Herefords, but had to control
diseases and predators which killed the animals. Sick animals do not
grow properly or, in the case of dairy animals, give much milk. Steady
advances in disease control for both plants and animals brought fewer
losses and greater productivity to farmers.
The 19th century also brought scientific discoveries in both plant and
animal nutrition. Fertilizer and soil chemistry made great advances
through scientific experiments, at first by farmers and later by
government servants. The first experiment station in the modern era
began in Connecticut in 1875, and in 1887 the Congress established such
stations in every state in conjunction with the agricultural Land Grant
colleges. Scientists at many of the stations also made discoveries in
animal nutrition. For example, as a result of animal feeding experiments
E. V. McCollum discovered vitamins A and B at the experiment station in
Wisconsin in 1915.
None of these scientific advances left much residue in the form of
artifacts for museums, but the reality of the changes should not be
obscured by the lack of objects on exhibit. Even so, some of the related
equipment survived. For example, the centrifuge used in the butterfat
test, discovered in 1890 by Stephen M. Babcock, survived in several
forms. Manure spreaders and tree sprayers, reflective of advances in
biochemistry, also survived. But these only suggest the more important
biological control activities for which these machines and tools served
merely as agents in some way.
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