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In the North West corner of the United States, a new invention was being tested and implemented on many farms: the first tractors. In 1870 Columbia, Washington, steam engines attached to Watercraft were being used to move grain down the coast to California where it could be shipped throughout the United States. The transcontinental railroad was finished in 1869, although the railway Locomotives were not extended up into the Oregon, Idaho, or Washington areas until the 1880's. When the trains finally stretched up into Washington, not only did they take away the grain that was cultivated but they shipped in the first tractors. Below-right is a picture of the first steam tractor, built by a company named Case in 1869. These first steam tractors were about 12 feet high and weighed roughly 15 to 25 tons apiece. They had a 400 to 500 gallon tank that held the water and had to be refilled often. Sadly, these tractors were extremely primitive and did not work well on the uneven ground of the Columbia Plateau. Also, the low horsepower gave the tractors a bit of torque but absolutely no speed. The video below shows an Avery steam tractor constructed in the early 1910's. As you can see, it works pretty well, but lacks any speed and dispels much steam and uses up tons of coal. In the state of Washington, this high maintenance and use of coal was detrimental to the steam tractor in its early stages. Instead, these steam engines were used to power threshers. There were two ways of threshing (separating the grain from the stalk): use a flail to beat the grain off of the stalks (old Egyptian method) or allow the horses to trample the grain into tiny bits. With the thresher, the farmers were able to take the grain that came out, bag it, and then send it to the train station for shipment. It was also in the 1880's that the development of a new technology began. The combine was foreseen as a machine that would harvest, thresh, and bag the grain all in one step. These large beasts were not steamed powered, but instead dragged by a team of 24 to 33 horses or mules. These soon replaced the tractors until innovators could come up with a way to incorporate more power at lower maintenance. (Lindeman, Glen)
The comparison between 1875 British farming practices and the methods that date back only two and a half decades before seem to be as starkly contrasting as day and night. Some of the new machines that have come about seem to be of another world when compared to the old ways of doing things. Some of the new practices include liquified manure, artificial fertilizers, and steam powered threshers. The discoveries of all of these advancements surely helped the production of food. The thresher added a new light to grain cultivation and sped up the process of separating the grain from the stalk. (The Old School and The New). On the other hand, some stationary machines were not so useful. For example, in North Carolina there was an abundance of river water that allowed for mills to be built. Instead of using large, bulky, resource-consuming steam engines, why not use the seemingly unlimited supply of energy found in the water wheel? (Carlton, David) The water wheel was a technology that lasted well into the 19th century and spilled over a little into the 20th century. The actual enhancement of the water wheel over the years caused it to become more and more efficient and it was used for many things, such as spinning cotton in mills. (Macaulay, David) In contrast, places where there was no running water (such as Cuba) steam engines were a necessity in running the sugar refineries that fueled the British economy. (McKercher and Enjamio)
Steam Engine. 2011. Constable Research B.V.Web. 13 Dec 2012.
Caption says:
This famous old No. 1 Steam Engine, first among a complete line of the most popular and well known steamers, is now in our museum. Case built steam engines from 1869 to 1924.
The steam engine may be the most innovative technology of the 19th century, but in some aspects it took a belly flop. The steam tractors were essentially useless and needed a little more time to mature. Many could not make it up and down the hills of the landscape, but some did prosper in the plains of Kansas and Nebraska. Instead, they were used to run the large stationary threshing machines that worked very well. They cut down on grain threshing time and decreased the need for farmers to employ more labor. The steam engine in this sense did prosper, and helped the production of grain exponentially throughout the United States and around the world. Depending on the location though, stationary steam engines could mean an absolute necessity or an unwanted waste of money.
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