Agricultural Experimentation and Research

Then, during the late eighteenth century, the methods of growing, raising, and processing food began to change. Some American farmers began adopting enhanced European agricultural practices, such as the use of organic fertilizers, crop rotation, and livestock breeding systems. Americans also began experimenting with other ways to improve agriculture. For instance, Ben Franklin, America’s foremost colonial scientist, advocated the use of plaster composed of lime or gypsum to fertilize the soil. He sowed the plaster on a field. The resulting boost in growth where it was plastered encouraged farmers to be more open to further agricultural innovation. Another colonial American, Thomas Jefferson, experimented with moldboards (curved metal plow blades that lift and turn over soil), while others pioneered the manufacture of cast-iron plows.