Steam Power Agriculture

The book uses patent records from the United States and the United Kingdom to showcase the inventive spirit driving agricultural mechanization. It argues that the introduction of steam power was not just a technological upgrade but a catalyst for systemic change, restructuring rural economies. For example, the transition led to both increased yields and debates about environmental impact and labor displacement.

Organized methodically, the book begins with the fundamentals of steam engines adapted for farming. It then progresses to specific innovations and their designs, analyzes the consequent socio-economic changes, and concludes with the decline of steam power and its lasting legacy. By combining technological analysis with socio-economic impact assessment, the book offers a holistic understanding of steam power's influence, making it valuable for historians, economists, and anyone interested in the evolution of agriculture.