The invention of fossil fuel powered farm machinery has dramatically changed the scale of production as well as the overall output. Stationary threshing machinery powered by steam came about in the mid 1800's. Self propelled steam engines followed, further displacing horses as the primary labor source on the farm.
Petroleum products entered the scene in 1859, when Edwin L. Drake opened the first oil well in the United States. A number of inventors worked on developing gasoline powered tractors. One of the earliest successful models was build by John Froelich in 1892. It did not take long for the new invention to rise in popularity. Between 1915 and 1920 the number of tractors in the Pacific states rose from 3,000 -to 23,000.
However, horses and mules were not quick to disappear from farms. In 1910, U.S. farms had a total of 24 million horses and mules on farms, by 1940 their numbers had only decreased to 15 million and they were doing 45 percent of all plowing. People whose livelihood revolved around horses resisted the tractor takeover vigorously. In 1919, a group of livestock dealers, saddle manufacturers, farriers, wagon and carriage makes, hay and grain dealers, teamsters, farmers and breeders formed the Horse Association of America to promote the use of horses. They broadcast their message through large mailings, film presentations and radio broadcasts. They urged Americans continue to rely on horses in urban areas, on farms and in the military. By 1945 the American Horse Association realized tractors were going to be a lasting technology so they began extolling the recreational value of the horse rather than promoting them as labor providers.
Where Have all the Farmers Gone?
Farmers and the "Agri-business Chain"
Reducing Risk Through Pest Control
Increasing Yields With Chemical Fertilizers
Genetic Engineering and Agriculture
Rationalization Through Mechanization