. The library of American history, literature and biography .. . T INVENTORS AND THEIR INVENTIONS. Great inventions are not necessarily large or costly. The scythe is a simpletool, and inexpensive; yet the practical perfecting of it by Joseph Jenks almostat the outset of farm-life in New England, isan epoch-mark in agriculture. It was thebeginning of a new order of things. Puttino-curved fingers to the improved scythe-bladeand snath furnished the American graincradle, a farm-tool perfect of its kind, andlikely to hold its place as long as grain isorrown on uneven ground. The plow supplied to t
. The library of American history, literature and biography .. . T INVENTORS AND THEIR INVENTIONS. Great inventions are not necessarily large or costly. The scythe is a simpletool, and inexpensive; yet the practical perfecting of it by Joseph Jenks almostat the outset of farm-life in New England, isan epoch-mark in agriculture. It was thebeginning of a new order of things. Puttino-curved fingers to the improved scythe-bladeand snath furnished the American graincradle, a farm-tool perfect of its kind, andlikely to hold its place as long as grain isorrown on uneven ground. The plow supplied to the Colonial farm-ers was as venerable as the had been substantially unimproved forfour thousand years. The moment our peo-ple were free to manufacture for themselves,they set about its improvement in form andmaterial; the very first patent granted by thePatent Office being for an improved plow of cast-iron. The best plow then in use was a rude affair, clumsily made, hard tOguide, and harder to draw. Its improvement engaged the attention of many. A COLONIAL SPINNING-WHEEL. OTHER GREAT INVENTORS. 703 inventors, notably President Jefferson, who experimented with various forms,and made a mathematical investigation of the shape of the mould-board, todetermine the form best suited for the work. He was the first to discover theimportance of straight lines from the sole to the top of the share and mould board. Colonel Randolph, Jeffersonsson-in-law, the best farmer in Virginia,invented a side-hill plow. Smith was thefirst to hitch two plows together; andAllen, by combining a number of smallplow-points in one implement, led the wayto the production of the infinite variety ofhorse-hoes, cultivators, and the like. ButJethro Wood, of New York, probably didmore than any other man to perfect theCOLONIAL PLOW WITH WOODEN MOULD-BOARD, cast-iron plow, and to secure its general use in place of the cumbrous plows of theearlier days. His skill as an inventor, and his pluck as a fig
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