Riding Cultivator - Doniphan, MO - Missouri Historical Markers on Waymarking.com

County of marker: Ripley County
Location of marker: Franklin St., Heritage Homestead, Doniphan
Marker erected by: Doniphan Neighborhood Assistance Program
Equipment donate by: John Lawhon

Worker Riding One in the field

Marker text:

RIDING CULTIVATOR This early 1900's riding cultivator came equipped with fenders to prevent clods from covering or otherwise harming young plants. It also had comfortable foot rests which allowed the operator to maneuver the plow and fender. As the plants grew, the fenders were removed to let the cultivator pile dirt up to smother small weeds and grass. The machine could be equipped with blades or shovels of different sizes and shapes. Smaller ones were often called chisels or calf tongues while larger ones were called buzzard wings.

Web link: [Web Link] History of Mark: After a farmer had planted seeds, the battle against the weeds began. For years hand-power was used to cultivate the land to wipe out seeds. To do this, farmers used hoes usually made of iron by the village blacksmith. Corn farmers usually needed to hoe their crops four times each season. At the rate of ¾ to one acre per day, as much as six days labor per acre might be spent killing weeds. Soon inventors helped farmers cultivate. In about 1820 farmers were using single-row horse-drawn equipment. Its purpose was to loosen the soil and kill weeds. Various types of cultivators quickly followed. Some used the “shovel-plow” which fit easily between corn rows, killed the weeds, stirred the soil, and tilled the plants by throwing more earth around the newly sprouted corn. In fact, the shovel plow remained the common cultivating tool until the 1850’s in Iowa and Illinois. In 1924 a big change took place. In that year the International Harvester Company introduced the first affordable and efficient row-crop tractor. Tractors helped farmers because more rows of cultivator teeth could be added to the machinery, lessening the time needed to drive out the weeds. With the crops weeded, the American farmer prepared for harvest time. Cultivators helped farmers increase their yields by killing weeds that robbed the soil and choked the crops." ~ University of Northern Iowa Additional point: Not Listed

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