ILLUSTRATION FROM ‘DIGGING BY
STEAM’
A real steam engine enthusiast could surely improve his
knowledge by reading Colin Tyler’s, ‘Digging by Steam.’
Tyler says that despite all that has been written and the growth of
the steam engine hobby, steam as it relates to digging has been
The text of the book reflects a true knowledge of the subject
and shows evidence of alot of ‘digging’ on the author’s
part. What makes the book truly special, however, are the fine
illustrations with their descriptive captions.
In a book of 177 pages, including a Foreward and an Index, there
are 110 illustrations which illuminate the text and give graphic
evidence of what the author is saying.
Tyler takes particular pleasure in having been able to assemble
these photographs and engravings and line drawings. He believes he
has gathered together the largest number on the subject ever to
appear in one place.
To list all the pictures would be impossible in this space, but
they include walking diggers, broadside diggers, models, traction
engines, and cultivators.
If you are a student of steam engine history and haven’t
read much about steam-powered agriculture in the 19th and 20th
centuries you may well want to read ‘Digging by Steam.’ You
will learn about the reasons for using steam power for digging,
along with some of the financial and technical problems
involved.
A Foreward by John Haining, who was co-author of ‘Plowing by
Steam,’ sums up the value of this book. He says that
Tyler’s ‘conscientious researching into the subject has
enabled him to record for posterity….a chapter in agricultural
history that might well have remained closed and even eventually
lost forever.’
If you want information about the role played by farmers in the
development of America, read ‘WHEREBY WE THRIVE: A History of
American Farming, 1607-1972.’
The book is divided into five time eras: 1607-1783, 1783-1861,
1861-1914, 1914-1945, and 1945-1972.
Under each time division three ideas are explored: Land,
Markets, and Technology and Science.
This book by John Schlebecker, who is curator of Agriculture and
Mining of the Smithsonian Institution, is logically arranged, well
written and the product of thorough research.
The history books we studied in school dealt mostly with wars,
economic cycles and the lives of supposedly great men.
Schlebecker deals with the problems and rewards of making a
living from the soil, and with the interaction of agriculture and
other segments of society. Farming is basic. We all need food and
raiment. If one’s worth is measured by one’s contribution
to meeting the needs of others then the farmer is history’s
true heroic figure.
‘WHEREBY WE THRIVE’ would be a fine textbook for an
agricultural course and at the same time is good reading for
someone who simply wants to know more about the history of
agriculture in America. We were particularly fascinated by the part
played by farmers in pre-revolutionary days and during the
Revolutionary War.
ROLE OF STEAM
Is steam mentioned? It certainly is. A history of farming would
be incomplete without a mention of the steam engine. We won’t
pretend that the book is mostly about steam, but Iron Men readers
may be assured that the subject is covered. The role of steam on
the farm, in shipping by rail and water, and in manufacturing is
explained.
The book ties the elements of history and society together. It
shows how farms, factories, transportation, economics, wars,
politics and government are all interrelated parts of the same
process. What affects one affects the rest.
INVENTIONS
Government land policies, western movement of farmers, invention
and improvement of implements, food processing and preservation,
population shifts, changing markets and price supports are among
the many subjects studied in this fact-filled book.
We came away from our reading with a greater knowledge and
appreciation of the farmer. We have a better understanding of his
part in the growth of the nation in war and peace. We see how
farming has changed from the days of the early settlers to the huge
agricultural businesses of today. Although techniques and methods
have changed, the basic goal of the commercial farmer is the same
now as it has been-to help feed others and to make a living doing
it.
We think that steam engine hobbyists will find sections of this
book quite interesting. For those who would like to see the whole
sweeps of American agriculture through 365 years, Schlebecker’s
‘WHEREBY WE THRIVE’ is a must.
