Farming on the Plains

The problems and solutions of farming on the Plains

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  • Created by: GraceLong
  • Created on: 03-02-16 18:34

Farming on the Plains

Causes

  • Law and order not being kept
  • Homesteaders didn't have enough land to farm on
  • People couldn't get to the West without risking their life because of hostile Indians or food shortages
  • No resources for building houses
  • Too much disease and dirt
  • Homesteader lived isolated lives
  • Lack of water and couldn't be dug by hand from underground
  • Earth to hard to plough
  • Crops wouldn't grow because of hard earth
  • Homesteaders would steal land form other homesteaders
  • Due to the lack of water, crops wouldn't grow

Effects

  • Federal republic made by government
  • The Homestead Act 1862 and The Timber and Culture Act 1873 were made
  • The railroads helped travllers move from East to West
  • Sod houses - solid, strong and made of earth
  • Women kept houses clean and found home remedies for illnesses
  • Women created communities while husbands were farming
  • Wind pumps to get water from the ground
  • Machinery - ploughs built with steal
  • New crops introduced (Turkey Red)
  • Barbed wire was introduces to fence land
  • Dry farming was introduced - farmers would plough when it was raining or snowing trapping moisture for the future crops

Overall summary

Framing on the Plains didn't start off very well because the crops wouldn't grow in the hard, dry soil. But when the railroads were introduced, new machinery and inventions were brought over for homesteaders to use and get a better crop yield. Homesteaders also learnt to change their farming techniques and dry farming was introduced. 

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