Old's Corn Planter

Prior to the 1800s, corn was planted by hand in hillocks or rows. Industrial technologies profoundly affected agriculture with many patent machines like this horse-drawn planter designed by Calvin Olds. In a language typical for other devices of the time, the inventor promises to have "made it my untiring object by day and by night, by actual experiment and deep study, to bring it to its greatest perfection."

This item contains two images, the second of which has been edited with clearer letters so as to better see the original schematic drawing that accompanied this description: "The above cut is a representation of my double corn planter, which plants two rows at once, and makes the rows both ways, to be drawn by a horse. Similar letters reter to similar parts—a represents the forward wheels, b the blank places on the hind wheels to show where the bills are, c the plough, d the coverer running with an angle of 45 degrees, replacing the carth thrown out by the plough, e the mitre gear of the dropping wheels, g the cups, with moveable bottoms to increase or diminish the quantity of seed at pleasure, h the boxes containing the seed, i the tube to convey the seed to the plough, k the slide or gate to regulate the depth of seed under the dropping wheel."

Packard, Cavit & Co.

The Geneseee Farmer 12.2 (Feb. 1841): 184

Courtesy of Internet Archive

Printed engraving