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Agricultural Machinery (Wikipedia.org) "Agricultural machinery is one of the most revolutionary and impactful applications of modern technology. Given the truly elemental human need for food, agriculture has been an essential human activity almost from the beginning, and it has often driven the development of technology and machines. Over the last 250 years, advances in farm equipment have dramatically changed the way people are employed and produce their food worldwide." 01-06
Combines (Bartleby.com) A combine is an "agricultural machine that performs both harvesting and threshing operations. Although it was not widely used until the 1930s, the combine was in existence as early as 1830. Early combines were traction-powered and drawn by horses, or later, driven by steam and internal-combustion engines. Self-propelled units appeared in the 1940s and have been adopted worldwide." 01-06
Cotton Gin (Essortment.com) "In seventeen ninety-three, approximately one hundred and eighty thousand pounds of cotton was harvested in the United States. Two years later, that harvest grew to more than six million pounds; by eighteen ten, an astounding ninety three million pounds was brought to harvest."
"The reason for this growth?"
"The cotton gin, invented in the latter part of seventeen ninety-three by Eli Whitney." 01-06
Cotton Gin (Wikipedia.org) "The cotton gin is a machine invented by American inventor Eli Whitney in 1793 to mechanize the production of cotton fiber. The machine quickly and easily separates the cotton fibers from the seedpods and the sometimes sticky seeds. It uses a combination of a wire screen and small wire hooks to pull the cotton through the screen, while brushes continuously remove the loose cotton lint to prevent jams. The invention was granted a patent on March 14, 1794. The cotton gin was a large asset to the American economy. The term 'gin' is an abbreviation for engine, and means 'device', and is not related to the alcoholic beverage gin." 01-06
History of Agriculture and Farm Innovations (Inventors.About.com) "The cotton gin is a machine that separates seeds, hulls and other unwanted materials from cotton after it has been picked. Eli Whitney patented the cotton gin on March 14, 1794." 01-06
McCormack Reaper (HistoryLink101.com) "Early reaping was all done by hand. Reaping is the cutting of the grain. In Egypt a flint blade was used to cut the wheat. In Europe the scythe had been introduced by the Romans. Yet the Europeans continued to use the sickle until limited labor forced them to use the more efficient scythe. (17F) By hand a worker could cut about 0.3 acres in a day. An experiment with an old sickle harvested 6.25 pounds in one hour and was two pounds after being threshed. (24F) After being cut the stalks were tied into bundles and then let to dry. After drying the wheat would be threshed and winnowed. The first evidence of a machine reaper come from the Gauls in Europe." 01-06
McCormack Reaper (University of Virginia) "Who invented the mechanical reaper is still a point of contention between members of the McCormick family descending from the family of Robert Hall McCormick of Walnut Grove in Rockbridge, Virginia. Perhaps the debate lies more between members of the family and the popular history that has come down through the years. Though it has become common knowledge that Cyrus H. McCormick invented and manufactured the reaper, it may have actually been his father's genius as a simple inventor that led to the family's riches and renown." 01-06
McCormack, Cyrus (Inventors.About.com) "Cyrus McCormick of Virginia was responsible for liberating farm workers from hours of back-breaking labor by introducing the farmers to his newly invented mechanical reaper in July, 1831. By 1847, Cyrus McCormick began the mass manufacture of his reaper in a Chicago factory." 01-06
Reaping - History of Reaping (HistoryLink101.com) "Early reaping was all done by hand. Reaping is the cutting of the grain. In Egypt a flint blade was used to cut the wheat." 01-06
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