††The machine drill is used for sowing cereals and other seeds. It was one of the first agricultural machines and was invented by Jethro Tull in England in 1701. The machine drill was able to plant seeds in straight rows, which meant that it was easier to keep the crops free from weeds and the land could be used more efficiently. Although the invention was criticized for threatening the livelihood of manual labourers, it was gradually adopted by more progressive farmers such as Thomas Coke and Lord Townshend. Modern tractor-drawnseed drills work on basically the same principles.
