Changes in farming methods and technology

Dry farming conserved water and allowed wheat to grow by immediately ploughing the soil after it rained. This method failed in the drought season. Dry farming offered the best conditions to grow Turkey Red Wheat which became a popular variety of wheat, particularly in Kansas.
Steel ploughs allowed farmers to break through tough prairie sod more effectively than iron ploughs, and mechanical reapers and threshers increased the speed and efficiency of harvesting grain.
Wind pumps made from metal (invented in the 1880s) provided water from underground, but early models, including the wooden wind pump, broke easily. The revolutionised wind pump needed to be oiled once a year.
Barbed wire allowed farmers to fence land cheaply, protecting crops from cattle, but rusted quickly; therefore, a coating was applied to prevent rusting.

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