Agricultural or farm machinery is machinery used in the operation of an agricultural area or farm. With the coming of the Industrial Revolution and the development of more complicated machines, farming methods took a great leap forward. Instead of harvesting grain by hand with a sharp blade, wheeled machines cut a continuous swath. Instead of threshing the grain by beating it with sticks, threshing machines separated the seeds from the heads and stalks. Agricultural steam engines took over the heavy pulling work of horses, and were also equipped with a pulley that could power stationary machines via the use of a long belt. With continuing advances in agricultural machinery, the role of the farmer will become increasingly specialized and rare. This is a comprehensive book for students of agricultural engineering and a valuable reference to postgraduate students as well as practising engineers specializing in field of farm mechanization.
