The Green County Historical Museum has among its agricultural tools an old grain cradle donated in 1967 by the late Harrison Grenzow (1889-1980) of Juda.
The grain cradle was used by farmers throughout the 1800s and early part of the 20th century to harvest grain. The grain cradle is essentially a scythe with the addition of 4 wooden "fingers" parallel to the curved blade and of the same four-foot length. The "fingers" were designed to receive the grain and to lay it evenly in rows. The operator could then rake and bind the grain into sheaves.
The grain cradle was introduced in America during the 1770s and was considered an improvement on the single blade because the wooden "fingers" acted as extensions to the farmer's arms and made harvesting a little easier. For cradling grain, two acres was considered a good day's work.
With the invention of Cyrus McCormick's mechanical reaper in 1837 and subsequent improvements by him and others in the latter part of the 1800s, the grain cradle became obsolete.
The grain cradle was used by farmers throughout the 1800s and early part of the 20th century to harvest grain. The grain cradle is essentially a scythe with the addition of 4 wooden "fingers" parallel to the curved blade and of the same four-foot length. The "fingers" were designed to receive the grain and to lay it evenly in rows. The operator could then rake and bind the grain into sheaves.
The grain cradle was introduced in America during the 1770s and was considered an improvement on the single blade because the wooden "fingers" acted as extensions to the farmer's arms and made harvesting a little easier. For cradling grain, two acres was considered a good day's work.
With the invention of Cyrus McCormick's mechanical reaper in 1837 and subsequent improvements by him and others in the latter part of the 1800s, the grain cradle became obsolete.