Question

what were the advantages and disadvantages of the use of mechanical harvesting machines in the USA

Answer 1

Advantages of mechanical harvesting :

1. They allowed big farmers to rapidly clear large tracts, breakup the soil, remove the grass and prepare ground for cultivation.

2. These machines reduced dependence on labourers and increased efficiency

3. The machine helped increase production by bringing virgin land under cultivation, to meet demands of urban dwellers and export market.

Disadvantage of mecha......

1. For poor farmers machines brought misery. Machine leading to unemployment. For many poor it became difficult to find jobs.

2. Production had expanded so rapidly that during the post war year, when the export market collapsed and wheat prices fell farmers were left with large surplus and overflowing store houses.