Who invented the plows?

Answer 1

The Cast Iron Plow A bill has recently passed the Senate of the United States, and is now pending in the House of Representatives, to extend the patent of Jethro Wood for seven years, which he obtained in 1814, and renewed in 1819, claiming to have invented the cast iron Plowshare. This bill proposes to grant to the heirs of Jethro Wood, the privilege of exacting fifty cents from the manufacturer for every Cast Iron Plow made in the United States for seven years after the passage of the said bill. As there are about four millions of farmers and planters at present in the United States, and as each would require on an average at least one plow every four years, this privilege would be worth half a million of dollars annually, all of which would be taken from the hard earnings of the farmer and planter. And what makes the matter more unjust is, that the interest of the heirs of Wood have been purchased for a mere song; thus nearly the whole benefit of it will inure to a company of greedy speculators. But Jethro Wood, as I shall proceed to show, was not the original inventor of the Cast Iron Plowshare, nor did he ever improve the Plow in the slightest degree; he was consequently entitled to no merit in this thing, and much less to a patent: and had the fact been known by the Commissioner of Patents, in 1814, he would not have granted him one, or renewed it in 1819 neither would the United States Court have confirmed him in it after it had been granted. The Cast Iron Plowshare was invented by Robert Ransom, of Ipswich, England, and he obtained a patent for it in 1785, twenty-nine years before Jethro Wood obtained his. The Cast Iron Plow, with the share and mouldboard in two parts, was kept for sale by Peter T. Curtenius in this city, as early as 1800; and in use in this neighborhood. Jethro Wood undoubtedly obtained his knowledge of the cast iron share, from one or the other of these for the Cast Iron Plow as a whole, and ii separate parts, will be found figured and described in almost every Encyclopedia, and work on agricultural implements, published in Great Britain, since 1790. These works soon found their way into the United States, and it can be proved by the testimony of the intimate friends of Jethro Wood, that he was familiar with these publications. The history of the Cast Iron Plow and improvements are simply this. James Small, a Scotchman, constructed a Cast Iron Plow on true mechanical principles as early as 1740, and was the first inventor of the cast iron mould board. Robert Ransom, of England, invented the cast-iron share in 1785. An English farmer in the County of Suffolk, invented the cast iron land side shortly after, so that as early as 1790, the Cast Iron Plow complete, in three distinct parts, was well known and in use in Great Britain, and figured and described in nearly every work of any value since published on the subject of plows and agricultural implements. Without any knowledge of these improvements of the Cast Iron Plow in England, Charles Newbold of New-Jersey, about the year 1790, took up the plow with a view of improving it in the United States. On the 17th of June 1797, he obtained a patent for the Cast Iron Plow skeleton, in one piece complete. Subsequently he made his plows with a cast-iron mould board and land-side, and attached a wrought iron share to it. Shortly after this, he still often spoke of further improving his plow, by substituting the cast-iron share. But having spent upwards of $30,000 in his improvements and efforts to introduce it into use in the United States and elsewhere, he got discouraged and gave up the business. Peter T. Curtenius, as stated above, kept the Cast Iron Plow for sale in this City, the share and mould boards in separate parts, as early as 1800. Who was the manufacturer of these I am unable to learn. In 1804, I think David Peacock, of New-Jersey, obtained a patent for a plow, the mould board and land-side of cast iron and in separate parts, the share of wrought iron steel-edged. He copied Mr. Newbold

Answer 2

The ancient Sumerians, a they were the first to invent irrigation farming. Plows were driving by teams of bulls and Oxen!