One-Way Disc Plow the most commonly used tillage implement
on the plains from the 1930's through the 1960's
This plow gets its name from
the fact that all of the plow's discs are set on
the same axle at the same vertical angle. This
arrangement allows the device to plow faster,
handle heavy stubble well, break hard sun-baked
soil, and destroy weeds. It was invented by
Charles Angell, Sr., of Plains, Kansas, in the
1920's.
Farmers had traditionally
treated stubble as a nuisance to be rid of by
plowing under or burning. Angell, however, saw a
way to use the stubble for the advantage of
dryland farmers. Instead of completely burying
the stubble as previous plows had done, the
one-way incorporated the stubble into the upper
layer of the topsoil to serve as a mulch and help
conserve moisture and reduce erosion by wind and
winter.
Angell built about 500 of the
plows on his Kansas farm, before selling the
rights to the Ohio Cultivator Company.
Kansapedia http://www.kshs.org/kansapedia/charles-angell-sr/11967
Questions or comments about
this page?
|