automatic depth and draft control in tractor

Early gas tractors were big, heavy, awkward and none too reliable, but by 1920 the better ones had survived and were becoming hugely popular on American farms for heavy tillage and belt work. The first commercially successful tractor was built in Charles City, Iowa, by Charles Hart and Charles Parr. John Froelich is generally credited with inventing the first successful tractor in Iowa in 1892. The internal combustion engine that was being perfected during the 1890s offered an alternative to steam. Steam tractors required much water, lots of coal, wood or straw for fuel, and a trained engineer to operate. Since that time farm trucks of all sizes have proliferated and today, no self-respecting farmer is without his pickup. The first real attempt to make a vehicle to replace the ubiquitous farm wagon was International Harvester with their “Auto Wagon,” which was introduced in 1907. It’s impossible to pin down the first motor truck, but steam-, electric- and gas-powered commercial vehicles made an appearance about the turn of the 20th century, and by 1910 trucks were common in urban areas. Two wheeled carts sufficed for early farmers and soon 4-wheeled wagons became the norm and were universally used for a couple of centuries. Machinery, critters and crops, among other heavy things, all need to be moved around the farm, or to market. More recently, engineers have developed GPS systems that afford exceptional accuracy in the placement of fertilizers and seed, again reducing input costs and improving yields. In addition to new and improved implements, high-yielding hybrid seeds and better fertilizers, as well as no-till and low-till practices have been developed that have reduced soil erosion and compaction along with input costs.

I cut it off at 1950 because there have been many, many revolutionary improvements since then in farm machines and practices. As promised last time, here are my five final choices for the top 10 most significant new developments in agricultural machinery during the 19th and first half of the 20th centuries.

Automatic depth and draft control in tractor