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al inventor of a practicable plough was Charles Newbold； of Burlington County； New Jersey； to whom a patent for a cast…iron plough was issued in June； 1797。 But the farmers would have none of it。 They said it 〃poisoned the soil〃 and fostered the growth of weeds。 One David Peacock received a patent in 1807； and two others later。 Newbold sued Peacock for infringement and recovered damages。 Pieces of Newbold's original plough are in the museum of the New York Agricultural Society at Albany。
Another inventor of ploughs was Jethro Wood； a blacksmith of Scipio； New York； who received two patents； one in 1814 and the other in 1819。 His plough was of cast iron； but in three parts； so that a broken part might be renewed without purchasing an entire plough。 This principle of standardization marked a great advance。 The farmers by this time were forgetting their former prejudices； and many ploughs were sold。 Though Wood's original patent was extended； infringements were frequent； and he is said to have spent his entire property in prosecuting them。
In clay soils these ploughs did not work well； as the more tenacious soil stuck to the iron moldboard instead of curling gracefully away。 In 1833； John Lane； a Chicago blacksmith； faced a wooden moldboard with an old steel saw。 It worked like magic； and other blacksmiths followed suit to such an extent that the demand for old saws became brisk。 Then came John Deere； a native of Vermont； who settled first in Grand Detour； and then in Moline； Illinois。 Deere made wooden ploughs faced with steel； like other blacksmiths； but was not satisfied with them and studied and experimented to find the best curves and angles for a plough to be used in the soils around him。 His ploughs were much in demand； and his need for steel led him to have larger and larger quantities produced for him； and the establishment which still bears his name grew to large proportions。
Another skilled blacksmith； William Parlin； at Canton； Illinois； began making ploughs about 1842； which he loaded upon a wagon and peddled through the country。 Later his establishment grew large。 Another John Lane； a son of the first； patented in 1868 a 〃soft…center〃 steel plough。 The hard but brittle surface was backed by softer and more tenacious metal； to reduce the breakage。 The same year James Oliver； a Scotch immigrant who had settled at South Bend； Indiana； received a patent for the 〃chilled plough。〃 By an ingenious method the wearing surfaces of the casting were cooled more quickly than the back。 The surfaces which came in contact with the soil had a hard； glassy surface； while the body of the plough was of tough iron。 From small beginnings Oliver's establishment grew great； and the Oliver Chilled Plow Works at South Bend is today one of the largest and most favorably known privately owned industries in the United States。
From the single plough it was only a step to two or more ploughs fastened together； doing more work with approximately the same man power。 The sulky plough； on which the ploughman rode； made his work easier； and gave him great control。 Such ploughs were certainly in use as early as 1844； perhaps earlier。 The next step forward was to substitute for horses a traction engine。 Today one may see on thousands of farms a tractor pulling six； eight； ten； or more ploughs； doing the work better than it could be done by an individual ploughman。 On the 〃Bonanza〃 farms of the West a fifty horsepower engine draws sixteen ploughs； followed by harrows and a grain drill； and performs the three operations of ploughing； harrowing； and planting at the same time and covers fifty acres or more in a day。
The basic ideas in drills for small grains were successfully developed in Great Britain； and many British drills were sold in the United States before one was manufactured here。 American manufacture of these drills began about 1840。 Planters for corn came somewhat later。 Machines to plant wheat successfully were unsuited to corn； which must be planted less profusely than wheat。
The American pioneers had only a sickle or a scythe with which to cut their grain。 The addition to the scythe of wooden fingers； against which the grain might lie until the end of the swing； was a natural step； and seems to have been taken quite independently in several places； perhaps as early as 1803。 Grain cradles are still used in hilly regions and in those parts of the country where little grain is grown。
The first attempts to build a machine to cut grain were made in England and Scotland； several of them in the eighteenth century； and in 1822 Henry Ogle； a schoolmaster in Rennington； made a mechanical reaper； but the opposition of the laborers of the vicinity； who feared loss of employment； prevented further development。 In 1826； Patrick Bell； a young Scotch student； afterward a Presbyterian minister； who had been moved by the fatigue of the harvesters upon his father's farm in Argyllshire； made an attempt to lighten their labor。 His reaper was pushed by horses； a reel brought the grain against blades which opened and closed like scissors； and a traveling canvas apron deposited the grain at one side。 The inventor received a prize from the Highland and Agricultural Society of Edinburgh； and pictures and full descriptions of his invention were published。 Several models of this reaper were built in Great Britain； and it is said that four came to the United States； however this may be； Bell's machine was never generally adopted。
Soon afterward three men patented reapers in the United States： William Manning； Plainfield； New Jersey； 1831； Obed Hussey； Cincinnati； Ohio； 1833； and Cyrus Hall McCormick； Staunton； Virginia； 1834。 Just how much they owed to Patrick Bell cannot be known； but it is probable that all had heard of his design if they had not seen his drawings or the machine itself。 The first of these inventors； Manning of New Jersey； drops out of the story； for it is not known whether he ever made a machine other than his model。 More persistent was Obed Hussey of Cincinnati； who soon moved to Baltimore to fight out the issue with McCormick。 Hussey was an excellent mechanic。 He patented several improvements to his machine and received high praise for the efficiency of the work。 But he was soon outstripped in the race because he was weak in the essential qualities which made McCormick the greatest figure in the world of agricultural machinery。 McCormick was more than a mechanic； he was a man of vision； and he had the enthusiasm of a crusader and superb genius for business organization and advertisement。 His story has been told in another volume of this series。*
* 〃The Age of Big Business〃； by Burton J。 Hendrick。
Though McCormick offered reapers for sale in 1834； he seems to have sold none in that year； nor any for six years afterwards。 He sold two in 1840； seven in 1842； fifty in 1844。 The machine was not really adapted to the hills of the Valley of Virginia； and farmers hesitated to buy a contrivance which needed the attention of a skilled mechanic。 McCormick made a trip through the Middle West。 In the rolling prairies； mile after mile of rich soil without a tree or a stone； he saw his future dominion。 Hussey had moved East。 McCormick di