The Steel Plow

American agriculture blossomed in the 19th century. Jethro Wood lit the fire of change with his invention of the steel moldboard plow. This plow caught on wildly, but had a troubled journey. Many copied it, causing Wood to spend fortunes on lawsuits against those small manufacturers—lawsuits which ultimately reached the US Supreme Court. Ultimately, Wood never benefited financially from his invention; basically due to lawsuits. Jethro Wood died in poverty.

Use of plows was not new. More than 5,000 years ago, Egyptians used some kind of wooden spike, tipped with iron, to till soil. It must have served okay; animals, and sometimes human beings pulled such plows. Centuries later, the plow was improved. First, Jethro ‘s Wood’s idea of the steel moldboard plow in 1819; and in 1837, John Deere improved and successfully launched its manufacture and sale. Now farmers had a new lease on tilling soil. Faster more efficient farming, meant more land could be tilled.

The steel moldboard plow revolutionized tilling soil; the rapid gain for American agriculture dramatically evolved. It was especially effective in the midwest. The tough, clay soil there would clog other plows, dramatically slowing the plows they used. The steel moldboard overcame that obstacle, allowing it to cut through tough clay soil, making farming easier.

We can be thankful that the steel moldboard plow was a boon to farming. It has been, and is being used for good in multiple ways. As with almost any good thing, excessive use or abuse of a good thing can sour it’s benefits. It is sad that Jethro Wood died penniless. John Deere managed to overcome obstacles Wood’s moldboard plow was unable to navigate, bringing dramatic changes in farming.

The mechanical tractor was a child of the Industrial Revolution. Enter the  gasoline-powered tractor invented by John Froelich. Fordson and John Deere became leading mechanical tractor companies. These tractors were large, heavy, steel-wheeled, gas-powered, machines. Many traditional farmers complained that these monsters packed the soil too firmly for plants to grow.

Nevertheless, use of mechanical tractors grew, as Cyrus Hall McCormick, entered the picture with his famous mechanical reaper later emerging as International Harvester (Farmall tractors) introducing additional farm equipment. The Steel Moldboard plow and mechanical farm equipment became multipliers for farmers.

I do not berate farming. I grew up on a farm. I love the farm. Until my calling pulled me another direction, I studied Vocational Agriculture in school. I was an officer in The Future Farmers of America (FFA). Farming is vital to our livelihood. The Bible is strong on good stewardship of the land and everything that lives on it; the Bible pleads for humanity and respite for all is necessary; that includes the land. I contend that humans overreached on land use and turned a deaf ear to good soil stewardship. The Bible pronounces creation “Good,” and humanity was given responsibility over it

While the steel moldboard plow has not been blamed for the Dust Bowl of the 1930’s in the US midwest, it was culpable, in a manner of speaking. Cascading factors, including superstition, ill advised congressional action, population migration, war, to mention a few,—over a few decades—became a perfect storm. The role the steel moldboard plow played simply made it easier to till more and faster, the midwestern prairie grasses’ deep roots. Over-tilling, denudement of the land, erratic policies, and poor soil management played important roles as well, in causing the Dust Bowl.

It may well be that Jethro Wood lived out Jesus’ words, “Greater love has no one than to lay down one’s life for his friends.”I do not know if Mr. Wood was religious or not. I can believe that he fought to his impoverished death for his invention to win in the courts. He was convinced that the Steel Plow would not only lighten the load for farmers, but would also increase their productivity; thus, good for humanity.