Grain Sickle, 1800-1840
01
Artifact Overview
Sickles helped farmers harvest grain crops. Using this age-old tool, however, was backbreaking work. Laborers constantly had to stoop over to gather and cut the stalks. The work also had to be done quickly before ripen grains were scattered by the wind or poor weather destroyed the crop. The invention of mechanized reapers did away with this laborious task on large acre farms.
Artifact Details
Artifact
Sickle
Date Made
1800-1840
Creators
Place of Creation
Location
at Greenfield Village in Soybean Lab Agricultural Gallery
Object ID
00.3.16802
Credit
From the Collections of The Henry Ford.
Material
Steel (Alloy)
Wood (Plant material)
Dimensions
Width: 20.125 in
Length: 21.125 in
Keywords |
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02
Related Content
SetAgriculture and the Environment
- 49 Artifacts
"Combines" combine the major tasks of grain harvest: cutting and gathering the crop, threshing and separating the kernels from the chaff, and disposing of the straw. The Massey-Harris Model 20, introduced in 1938, culminated over 100 years of mechanical improvements. One driver operated the self-propelled machine, which reduced the need for hired help during the labor shortages of World War II.