MACHINERY IN THE HOME AND ON THE FARM 519 



flour. Even then, their agricultural tools were so few and so 

 poorly adapted to their needs that the farmer of today, were he 

 obliged to use them, would feel helpless. 



611. Household Tools of the Colonist and Pioneer. The 

 kitchen equipment and dishes of the pioneers were few indeed. 

 A kettle or two, a few plates, and some knives and spoons con- 

 stituted their cooking and serving equipment. But very early 

 they found use for other household tools. It was impossible 

 for them to buy clothing, therefore, they soon began to raise 

 flax and wool in the northern colonies and cotton in the south- 

 ern colonies and to make their own clothing. To do this they 

 were obliged to make tools for carding, spinning, and weaving 

 of " homespun" cloth. While these tools were crude and 

 simple, they answered the purposes for which they were 

 intended, and every member of the household became skilful 

 in using them. 



612. Pioneers were Skilful in the Use of Tools. Although 

 the colonists and pioneers had few tools to use, they were far 

 more skilful in the use of such tools as they did have than are 

 most of us today. There were no factories to manufacture the 

 many articles they needed for their comfort, nor did they have 

 money with which to buy them. We can, perhaps, appreciate 

 the skill of the colonist in the use of tools when we realize that 

 they, not only sheared the sheep, cleaned, washed, picked, 

 carded, spun, dyed, and wove the wool into cloth and made the 

 cloth into clothing, but that they were also obliged to make 

 practically all the utensils used in these processes. 



613. The Coming of the Factory. About the beginning of 

 the 19th century (1800) improved machinery, driven by water 

 power, began to be used in the making of cloth. It was soon 

 found to be more economical to buy cloth made in the factory 

 than to make it in the home. During the 19th century, cotton 

 and woolen mills with power-driven machinery were developed. 

 At the present time no one thinks of manufacturing cloth in 

 the home. Today much of the cloth is made up into garments 

 ready to wear before leaving the factory. 



