Farming & Recollections Steam in Agriculture

The coming of the steam traction engine, while not totally eliminating horses and agricultural labourers, certainly improved the cultivation, threshing and haulage aspects of agriculture. Horses were still required for the sowing and reaping of crops, but the advent of the two winding engines and balance plough tackle reduced cultivation time, replacing the single-furrow horse-drawn plough with a plough of up to a five furrows. The system pioneered in the 1860s by John Fowler utilised a pair of traction engines fitted with winching drums beneath the boiler. With an engine positioned at each end of the field, the plough was winched back and forth. John Fowler & Co Ltd became the largest producer of ploughing engines and tackle, exporting its products worldwide. This book takes a look at the history and development of steam in agriculture.