Gaining Traction: Farm

Mechanization
Ch-5,Gales of Creative destruction
By
Calestous Juma
Technology in agriculture
• Even what we see as primitive technology was once the latest
technology
• The story of modernization starts in 1800s when several tools made
of iron(later steel) and wood increased the labor output more than
twelve times .
• These tools were more compatible with animal and the primary
purpose of this way of technology was to shift farm labor from human
labor to animal labor
Slow Adoption
• The adoption of these tool was slow due to high cost of steel and
consumer group limited to affluent farmers.
• But this gained momentum due to the American Civil war and
subsequent abolition of slavery.
• Marked by stagnation in agrarian technology from 1870-1892.
Early History of tractors
• John Frelich invented the first gasoline powered tractor in 1892
• Large number of tractor producing came up (11 major companies in
1906)
• But proportion of farmers using it was very less due to
• High cost
• Tractors could be used only for harvesting
• Mainstream support system available for animal power and not for gasoline
driven machines
Evolution of tractors
• 1913:The Bull Small and agile
• 1917:Fordsons First tractor made by mass production
• 1924:Farmall First general purpose tractor

• By 1920 the lack of standardized models, the failure of tractor firms and
the resulting evaporation of dealerships and repairman, the economic
depression in agriculture, and Henry Ford’s dumping of one hundred
thousand cheap Fordsons on the market strained what little credibility the
tractor industry ever had.
• Though 85% ploughing in Illinois,Indiana and Ohio was done by tractors
Horse Association of America
• One of the first lobby group of USA
• Objective aid and encourage the breeding ,raising and use of horses
and mules.
• Early objective to stop tractors from being used in farming but later
softened to demand for coexistence between horses and tractors.
• Eventually demand reduced to use of horses for recreational purpose
• Horses
• Fueled economic growth since 1700s
• Quarter of cropland consumed by animals
Institutions and People dependent on horses
• Veterinary doctors
• Harness makers
• Livestock dealers
• saddle manufacturers
• farriers
• wagon and carriage makers
• hay and grain dealers
• teamsters
• farmers
• Breeders
• and other business interests that had a financial or emotional interest in horses and
mules.”18
Championing a war to defend a way of life
• Tractors would make farmers dependent on urban supplies of
• Expertise
• Fuel
• Spare parts
• Repair works
• Horse reproduce and value of tractors depreciate
• Horses could be deployed as per demand against fixed horse power of engines
• Bad horses could be easily replaced
• Even if successful tractors would hurt farmers as they won’t get the same price
due to overproduction.
• Even they get money they will have to but new tractors from it as tractors are
improving.
• Eventually making farmers slaves of tractor’s producer
National Security Threat
• Military worried about declining numbers of horses and trained
horsemen.
• General Peashing and others said cavalry vital for defense of country
• Major General Palton said vehicles could not replace it
Non HAA /Radicals
• There were, however, more radical voices that wanted the tractor to
be exterminated. A Texas doctor, for example, wrote to President
Franklin Roosevelt calling for all tractors and trucks to be destroyed.
• A farmer from Nebraska thought that the solution to the depression
was to abolish tractor manufacturing.
• Another farmer from Ohio proposed a tax on tractors punitive
enough to dissuade people from making purchases.
Urban Areas
• In rural area agriculture was the main issue and grass root level
campaigning/awareness drive were carried out by HAA.
• In urban areas the fight was taken into streets literally
• Traffic jams
• HAA blamed automobile parking
• HAA successfully lobbied for parking restrictions in 3 states
• Pro mechanization group blames slow moving horses
The other side
• Although HAA was a very strong group it ,some say from its formation s it
was doomed to fail
• It had no single organization as a major opponent
• But to every action there was retaliation by the rivals
• The criticism was in some way constructive
• HAA raised the issue of mechanical problem to counter that the rivals
raised the issue of disease outbreak and efficiency of the animals.
• In response to this HAA added proper diet, care and health facility to its
agenda.
• Which resulted in increase in average animal weight from 1203 pounds in
1918 to 1304 pound in 1943
HAA used activism but in1980s
• CAAP used judicial measure against UC
Conclusion
• Not only economic factors
• Scope for improvement
• Government’s role
• Education and research
• Support system