Early Farming In Calif. - Horse And Steam

"...California agriculture was a leader in mechanization, in part because many farmers had large acreages, capital and were well educated. Thus, wheat farmers in 19th century California soon learned that they could use large plows to turn over only a few inches of topsoil and encouraged local inventors to develop plows that could cover far more acres in a day than in the rest of the US. Dry summers with little threat of rain allowed wheat to be harvested by combine sooner in California than in the Midwest...."

~1910-1915 (best guess)

Interesting postcards/ pictures. Top looks earlier than 1910, but I don't know. The gangs of plows appear to be stock, think mule or horse units tied together to create one large unit. I see 4 units. 4 - 14s would take 8 horses. Same with the bottom . 4 grain drills hooked behind the engine to make one super unt. Says 44 ft, I would think they're 10 foot units as they were common. When I first started working on farm there were still some sharecroppers who were cultivating tobacco (single row) with mules.
A day gone by, thanks for sharing.
Regards mark

Mark,
Thanks for the details.
pat

I really like these old agricultural images! This one has been posted elsewhere, but it fits here, as well.

I too really appreciate these old farm scenes. About 1900 I would think.
Reminds me why 50% or so of the American population was farming, labor intensive. Last I saw it's less than 2%.
The steam engine pulling the 4 gangs of plows at top doing the work of 32 horse. Each gang looked to me to be 4 mold boards. 14" mold boards was about what they made back then in gangs. Horses or mules could only do so much. There's was a field I walked 40 years ago, about a mile and a half long. In the middle of the field was a huge oak tree. The old tenant told me it was to rest the mules on every pass.
Days gone by. Thank you for the great pictures/ post cards.
Cheers mark

Thanks for sharing the cards and information.

So much history in those postcards. I'm not sure if mine is California, but it's interesting. Case Steam Engine and Case-Sattley Engine Gang Plows.

More than interesting!
History of us!
8 bottom moldboard, being pulled by an old steam Case. Very very cool!
I attend "old farm shows" that demonstrate old equipment. Never seen 8 mold boards at a time. Either Calif. or Midwest. Particularly, you can see the ground being "rolled" by the plow, not "turned". Thanks, great post card.
Regards Mark

Thanks for the info Mark, it's cool to hear and I learn so much on these forums.