Grain Sickle, 1800-1840

Summary

Sickles helped farmers harvest grain crops. Using this age-old tool, however, was backbreaking work. Laborers constantly had to stoop over to gather and cut the stalks. The work also had to be done quickly before ripen grains were scattered by the wind or poor weather destroyed the crop. The invention of mechanized reapers did away with this laborious task on large acre farms.

Sickles helped farmers harvest grain crops. Using this age-old tool, however, was backbreaking work. Laborers constantly had to stoop over to gather and cut the stalks. The work also had to be done quickly before ripen grains were scattered by the wind or poor weather destroyed the crop. The invention of mechanized reapers did away with this laborious task on large acre farms.

Artifact

Sickle

Date Made

1800-1840

Creators

Murray 

Place of Creation

United Kingdom, Great Britain 

Greenfield Village
 On Exhibit

at Greenfield Village in Soybean Lab Agricultural Gallery

Object ID

00.3.16787

Credit

From the Collections of The Henry Ford.

Material

Steel (Alloy)
Wood (Plant material)

Dimensions

Width: 23.75 in

Length: 26 in

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