Living and Farming on the Great Plains; Solutions

Windmills

Lack of water was a major problem on the Great Plains. There were two solutions to this. In 1874 Daniel Halliday invented a self-governing windmill; it always kept in line with the wind so that it did not get damaged by the strong winds. This windmill could be used to pump water underground. First, a high powered drill was used to get down to the water. Then the wind pump was fitted. It would pump water night and day for people to use in homes and irrigate their crops.

D

Dry Farming

Farmers ploughed their land when there had been heavy rain or snow. This left a thin layer of dust over the surface, which trapped and preserved the moisture in the soil. The land was then left to fallow ready for the following year's crops

Growing a Surplus

In their early years on the Plains the Homesteaders would plough enough land to grow food to feed their family. In later years they could plough more land and grow more crops. This would produce a surplus they they could sell. With this money they could buy better equipment and increase their surplus.

Hard Winter Wheat

Homesteaders recognized that wheat was a more suitable crop than corn. Those who settled on the high Plains realized that it was better to keep livestock than just grow crops. Russian Immigrants introduced "hard winter wheat" The climatic conditions on the Great Plains were similar to those of the Russian steppes so these crops flourished, and homesteaders who bought it were successful. 

Barbed Wire

In 1874 Joseph Glidden invented barbed wire. This provided a cheap and effective solution to the problem of fencing and protecting crops.

Sod 

Sod-Buster

John Deere invented a particularly strong plough which could deal with the tough grass roots. This was known as the "sod-buster" 

Other Machinery

From the 1880's other new farming machinery was developed. This included reapers, binders and threshers. These could be easily transported to the Great Plains by railroad. The machines increased the area that a homesteader could manage to farm and were well suited to the open spaces of the Great Plains

Hard Work

By the 1890's a combination of all these inventions and developments had helped the homesteaders to solve the problems of farming on the Great Plains. Eventually the Great Plains became a fertile area for wheat production and the majority of homesteaders prospered. Their success can be explained  by their determination, hard work and adaptability. They were supported by the railroads which took them there, brought them equipment and carried their crops to the market.

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