Traditional Knowledge
Farmers used to plow, weed, and harvest by hand, making them confident that they understood the soil, the health of their crops, and the size of the harvest. Even with the coming of powered machinery, they were still confident in their traditional knowledge. However, without detailed measurements they did not always know which specific parts of the field excelled or why.
Corn husker, around 1920
Farmers wore specialized gloves with a metal prong to make husking the corn faster and easier.
Planter patent model, George Hendricks, Rushville, Indiana, 1872
Planting was a slow process with this human-powered corn drill. While using simple machines was tedious, it did ensure that the farmer would see every piece of the field.
