Evolution of Corn Planting in the U.S.
In this edition of American Agriculture History Minute, Mark Oppold takes us back to the late 1700s and early 1800s, a period when corn planting was a labor-intensive, hands-on process. Early American farmers used a method known as cross-check planting, where hills of corn were planted in evenly spaced rows running north-south and east-west.
A wire marked with knots spaced every 40 to 42 inches guided the planter, signaling when to drop three or four seeds into each hill. This simple yet methodical approach ensured uniformity and maximized crop spacing with the tools available at the time.
By the late 1880s, agricultural innovation had accelerated. Charles Deere, son of farming pioneer John Deere, developed a two-row corn planter, a major leap forward in planting technology. This advancement marked the transition toward the modern methods of mechanized agriculture that continue to evolve today.
These incremental innovations laid the foundation for the efficient, high-yield crop production systems we depend on now.
— Mark Oppold, American Agriculture History Minute