138 The Cast Iron Plow. 
found figured and described in almost every Encyclopedia and 
work on agricultural implements, published in Great Britain, 
since 1796. 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 its improvements, is 
simply this : 
James Small, a Scotchman, constructed a Cast Iron Plow on 
true mechanical principles as early as 1740, and was the first in- 
ventor of the Cast Iron mold board. Robert Ransom, of Eng- 
land, 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 1790, the Cast Iron Plow complete in three distinct 
farts was well known and in use in G reat Britain, 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, Chas. Newbold, of New Jersey, about the year 
1790, took up the plow v/ith 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 mold-board and land-side, and 
attached a wrought iron share to it. Shortly after this he often 
spoke of still farther improving his plow, by substituting the cast 
iron share. But having spent upwards of $30,000 in his im- 
provements 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 mod-board 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 mold-board and land-side of cast iron and 
in seperate parts, the share of wrought iron steel-edged. He 
copied Mr. Newbold's plow in part, for the privilege of which he 
paid him $1,000. 
In 1814, Jethro Wood obtained a patent for a plow, the mold- 
board, land-side, and share in three parts and of cast iron. He 
was familiar with Newbold's and Peacock's plow; and his was a 
bungling imitation of theirs, and not near so perfect in form and 
construction as the old Botherhara plow, which had been in use 
in Great Britain upward of seventy years before Wood obtained 
his patent. 
It is said that the cast iron plow in three parts, viz: mold- 
board, land-side and share was in use in Virginia previous to 
1814, and that Wood was aware of it. 
