Top Ten Farming Innovations: Number Nine

X. Hydraulic implement lift with draft control When you think of hydraulics, sometimes the first thing that comes to mind is elevators and lifts they use in auto repair shops. But hydraulics have a a very deep history dating back to before the turn of the century. You could actually say that hydraulics stem from the first version of harnessing the power of water thousands of years ago. The harnessing of water started with water wheels and canals. Based on the British historians M.J.T.[8] accounts from the work of the a technician from Greece, Appolnius of Perge, these water wheels also known as water mills actually powered peoples lives dating back to the early 3rd century BCE .[1] 

These precursors influenced the construction of communities, cities and even more specifically canals. One of the techniques that developed from the early use of the what was described by Philo of Byzantium[11]. as a water mill, became known as the water wheel [9] in Europe was called stream jamming and this helped put the country on the path to water supply and the technology of irrigation to be combined with the modification of the supplication of power of the water wheel.[2] 

Hydraulic power networks used pipes to carry water pressure and transmit mechanical power to the end user. One of the largest and still existing Hydraulic power networks is the world-famous Jetd'Eau[3], installed in 1886 at the Usine de la Coulouvrenière, in 1891 after its exquisite aesthetic value was acknowledged it was moved to its current location where Lake Geneva empties into the Rhone. "Since 2003, the fountain has operated during the day all year round, except in case of frost and particularly strong wind" [4]. It also operates in the evening between spring and autumn and is lit by a set of 21 lights totaling 9 kW[4]. On 25 August 2016, the fountain celebrated its 125th anniversary at its present location.

Fast forward to 1785 and an Englander, Joseph Bramah. along with industrialist Armstrong Whitworth took note that the water wheel was doing an immense amount of work the there was still a lot of potential that had not been harnessed. The two first designed a rotary engine but later moved it to a hydraulic piston type design that could move a crane. So in an era where the science of hydraulics was not yet truly recognized, Bramah and Armstrong were utilizing Pascal's laws[12] to further their invention. Bramah got a patent for the invention of the hydraulic press in 1795. "Since 1795 several engineers and inventors have added their contribution to this scientific field of science that deals with the subject of forces exerted on fluids or fluid dynamics".[5]

Over a century later ther first tractor mechanical lift appeared and then in 1934 the hydraulic lift. Irishman Harry Ferguson laid claim to the first hydraulic lift and his "three-point hitch was probably the most revolutionary improvement in tractor and implement technology during the first half of the 20th century. Today, virtually every tractor sold anywhere in the world features a three-point hitch based on Ferguson’s original system.[6]" 

Just four short years later Ferguson showed the tractor he had built to Henry Ford at the Ford Fairlane Farm. Ford was very enammered and worked hastilly to form a partnership and they shook on it. They never signed a

contract but this put ford back in the Tractor business. Within four years Ford-Ferguson had captured 20 percent of the tractor market, this was compared to International Harvester's 40 percent, but by that year there were over 100,000 Ford-Ferguson's out in the fields. Unfortunately years later Ferguson had to sue Ford for patent infringement and after many long years of court battles took a settlement of 9.25 Million.[7]

Years later due to his deteriorating health Ferguson "merged his company with Daniel Massey and Alanson Harris's company, Massey-Harris[13]; remember them they were responsible for producing the world’s first commercially successful self-propelled combine harvester in 1938[14]. The new Massey Fergusoncompany became a major player in the tractor market of the late 20th Century[7].

Bull Tractor Co. Big Bull (a.k.a. Whiting-Bull in England)
25 H.P. horizontally opposed two cylinder engine
delivered 10 H.P. at the draw-bar. Featured a three wheel design
Briefly imported by Massey-Harris during 1917
Produced from 1915-1920 at Minneapolis

Whatever you call it, "fluid power" a.k.a. "hydro-power" or  "hydraulic power" the Agricultural industry still relies heavily on the use of pressurized fluid just as the original water wheel did in order to produce energy/power. 

1.  Wikander 2000, pp. 396f.; Donners, Waelkens & Deckers 2002, p. 11; Wilson 2002, pp. 7f.
2.  Robert, Friedel, A Culture of Improvement. MIT Press. Cambridge, Massachusetts. London, England. (2007). p. 34
3.  Nikolaisen, Per-Ivar . "12 mega dams that changed the world (in Norwegian)" In English Teknisk Ukeblad, 17 January 2015. Retrieved 22 January 2015.
4.  Patrimoine Genève - Le Jet d'eau de Genève, "Horaires 2008" (2008 Schedule)
5. http://hubpages.com/technology/history-of-hydraulic-systems
6. http://www.farmanddairy.com/columns/top-five-significant-developments-in-ag-machinery/45052.html
7. http://www.livinghistoryfarm.org/farminginthe40s/machines_0204.html
8.  Lewis, M. J. T. (2001) "Railways in the Greek and Roman world" Archived July 21, 2011, at the Wayback Machine., in Guy, A. / Rees, J. (eds), Early Railways. A Selection of Papers from the First International Early Railways Conference, pp. 8–19 (8 & 15), ISBN 090468508X.
9.  Oleson, John Peter (2000): "Water-Lifting", in: Wikander, Örjan: "Handbook of Ancient Water Technology", Technology and Change in History, Vol. 2, Brill, Leiden, ISBN 90-04-11123-9, pp. 217–302 (233)
10.  M. J. T. Lewis, Millstone and Hammer: the origins of water power (University of Hull Press 1997), pp. 1–73 especially 44–45 and 58–60.
11.  Wilson, Andrew (2002): "Machines, Power and the Ancient Economy", The Journal of Roman Studies, Vol. 92, pp. 1–32 (7f.)
12.  www.engineeringtoolbox.com/pascal-laws-d_1274.html
13.  Daniel Massey (1798 - 1856) - Find A Grave Memorial". Findagrave.com. Retrieved 2013-12-02.
14. http://ouramp.blogspot.com/2016/12/top-10-farm-machinery-innovations_9.html