Horses and Manual Labor

During the 1870s, people are coming up with lots of ways to use powered equipment to speed up work. But half of Americans are still farmers. Horses, mules and oxen are still the only way to plow the fields and pull the wagons.

Most machines in 1870 are just beefed up versions of designs originally developed for woodworking. but adapted to work metal. Steam boilers are riveted together, and somebody has to drill all the holes for the rivets.

The chart shows that powered equipment is still just beginning to take hold. The total horsepower provided by farm animals is still equal to the horsepower of all railroads and factories, combined.
Horsepower, 1870

  Animals on the Farm
Animals are still the dominant source of energy. Farm tractors, threshers and baling equipment are not yet powered by steam. There is no technical reason for this. Steam-powered fire engines have been used for decades in the big cities, which proves that portable equipment can be fitted for steam power. But few farmers have money to spend on non-essential equipment.

Farm equipment, 1870

  More Metal
Farming equipment is still made with wooden frames and handles, but iron cutting blades. All are simple, and all are pulled through the fields by animals. The hay mower is perhaps the most complicated, equipped with metal teeth on the hay bar which move back and forth, driven by gears on the main wheels. This cuts the hay like an array of scissors.


Small farm equipment, 1870

  Ingenious Contraptions
Planting and harvesting are the most important tasks in farm life. But there are plenty of other chores which require specialized equipment. Most are powered by hand cranks.