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Smithsonian Studies in History and Technology

In these series, the Institution publishes original articles and
monographs dealing with the research and collections of its several
museums and offices and of professional colleagues at other institutions
of learning. These papers report newly acquired facts, synoptic
interpretations of data, or original theory in specialized fields. These
publications are distributed by mailing lists to libraries,
laboratories, and other interested institutions and specialists
throughout the world. Individual copies may be obtained from the
Smithsonian Institution Press as long as stocks are available.

S. Dillon Ripley

Secretary

Smithsonian Institution

For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing
Office

Washington, D.C. 20402--Price 70 cents

Stock Number 4700-0209

Contents

Introduction 1

The Use of Farm Machinery in America 2

Catalog of Agricultural Implements and Machines in
the Collection 6

Index to the Catalog 51

Publications on Farming by the Staff of the
Division of Agriculture and Mining 58

Agricultural Implements and Machines

in the Collection of the

National Museum of History and Technology

The Author: John T. Schlebecker is curator in charge, Division of
Agriculture and Mining, Museum of History and Technology, Smithsonian
Institution.

Introduction

The art and science of agriculture embrace most intentional human
efforts to control biological activity so as to produce plants and
animals of the sort wanted, when wanted. Rubber plantations, cattle
ranches, vegetable gardens, dairy farms, tree farms, and a host of
similar enterprises all represent human efforts to compel nature to
serve man. Those who undertake agriculture have had, from time
immemorial, a variety of names, not all of them complimentary. The
people involved in attempted biological control have been called
farmers, planters, ranchers, and peasants. Farmers carry on a
complicated business in which they use a variety of tools, impleme