THE GENESIS OF POWER PLOWING 223 



plow as it passed across the field. This was known as the 

 "round-about" system. Somewhat later a single traction 

 engine with a winding drum was substituted for one of the mov- 

 able anchors and the windlass. The great length of cable re- 

 quired and the clumsiness of the tackle hampered the work, 

 and in due time a second traction engine similarly equipped 

 was substituted for the remaining anchor. This form of cable 

 plowing has been developed very successfully by English firms 

 and is still used from one end of the world to the other. 



Power plowing in the United States has reached its highest 

 development upon the extensive areas of the Western plains. 

 Owing to the size of the fields and the excessive cost of the cable 

 equipment, the latter was never successfully introduced there 

 in the common system of small grain culture. As early as 

 1870, natives of Kansas were startled by the appearance of an 

 upright steam traction engine to which were attached a number 

 of horse plows. Ten or fifteen years later steam plowing began 

 to be common in California. About the same time, general 

 substitution of the traction engine for horses in driving 

 threshers stimulated the desire for mechanical power for 

 plowing in the Central states. 



Failure was the result of nearly every venture during these 

 early years. The only engines available were of small size, 

 designed more for belt power than for pulling. When enough 

 common horse plows were hitched together to take up the 

 power such an engine could develop, the outfit proved to be 

 unwieldy, especially in turning. In addition to one man 

 at each plow as before, it was necessary to have another to 

 drive the engine and another with a team to haul fuel and water. 

 There was no saving in labor; in fact, quite the reverse. The 

 light, narrow cast-iron gearing had been designed only for 

 moving the tractor from place to place with a light separator. 

 Expensive breakage followed the attempt to transmit power 

 enough through it to pull plows. The plows were neither suitable 

 nor strong enough; the outfits had small capacity; the operators 



