INVENTOR OF THE MODERN PLOW. 19 



fecting his grand idea as Mr. Wood. His now 

 venerable daughter stated the exact truth when 

 she remarked in a letter not designed for pub- 

 lication: " My father patented the shape and 

 construction of the plow. He took the iron 

 and shaped the plow that turns the furrow for 

 every product of the soil in America. His 

 plow has never been improved. It came from 

 his hand simple and perfect, as it now is, and 

 there is no other plow now in use." It was 

 not the use of cast iron that he invented, 

 although the use of " pot metal " by him oc- 

 casioned a great deal of hostility to the original 

 Wood plow. 



Jethro Wood took out two plow patents, 

 and those who wish to belittle his work, des- 

 cant upon the first as if it were his only claim 

 to credit. That first patent was issued in 

 1814. It fell far short of satisfying the pat- 

 entee's ambition. The plows made under it 

 must have been a great improvement on any 



