Mecklenburg plough

• around 1880

The “Mecklenburg plough” with front end shown, manufactured around 1880, was used in Hof Carlsthal (north-west Mecklenburg) and was drawn by horses. The farmer, leading and carrying the 70 kg heavy weight, managed to “dig up” around 0.3 hectares of earth during a long working day.

The most important resource for agriculture is the earth. Handling, treating, maintaining and increasing its fertility has been the main concern of farmers for centuries.

The technical possibilities for processing the earth mechanically did not change until the last 100 years. The agricultural reforms in Europe in the 18^th and 19^th century helped to pave the way for the reversible plough with turning blades. Yet in many places in Mecklenburg the use of the scratch plough, which only dug up the ground, was used until the 20^th century.