Ploughs
/Collections/Agriculture/uafp_agriculture_ireland_ploughs)
This section traces developments in the use of ploughs in Ireland. It notes how the Great Famine of 1845 -1851 impacted on the availability of labour and the changing nature of agricultural production.
Before 1800, Irish ploughs were usually made of wood, and only an iron cutting edge. They were ineffective at turning over ground, so fields had to be ploughed more than once, across, as well as up and down.
Forged iron swing ploughs were introduced from Scotland after 1800. These were much better at turning over the soil, requiring fewer men to guide them and less horse power to pull them. However in certain conditions the old Irish plough still performed better.
At around the same time, wheel ploughs were introduced from England. They were initially unpopular, as unlike the swing plough, the depth and width of the wheel plough’s furrow could not be adjusted on the move. However, on even ground they proved their worth, requiring less skill to produce good results.
So, as land was improved from 1850 to 1900, they became more widely used.
Many people used spades to prepare ground for crops, both on their own small holdings and when working for larger farmers. The spade was inexpensive, it generated higher yields, and as wages were low, it was as cheap as using a horse and plough.
However, the Great Famine of 1845 to 1851removed many of Ireland’s poor, through both death and migration. This meant that after the famine there were fewer people left to work the land. Agricultural production slowly changed from crop growing to cattle production, and the horse and plough gradually replaced man and spade.
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