The history of the plough can be traced as far back as Neolithic times, when it was just a forked stick with a sharp point which was dragged through the soil.
The Romans designed three types of plough: The `Aratum', which was almost the same as the neolithic type; the `Ard', which was a beam and spike tool; and the `Carruca', which had a mouldboard which pushed the soil to one side.
Around the 17th century the plough began to have major changes made to it. The French and Dutch designed lighter more triangular framed ploughs. When the plough was brought to England and patented in 1730, iron was used to make the coulter, share and mouldboard. Eventually the plough was made completely out of iron, and then in the 1830's out of steel.
In the 19th century a technique called steam ploughing was developed. A steam engine was stationary at the edge of the field and cables attached would reel the plough from one side of the field to the other.
In 1936 a farm tractor equipped with a hydraulic 3-point linkage was developed by Harry Ferguson. This enabled the plough to be coupled to a tractor.
The modern plough may have as many as 12 blades. This type of plough is towed by a tractor and can till as many as four hectares within the space of one hour.
