ABSTRACT
The introduction of the mechanical cutter and binder for cereals was a great step forward in reducing the number of additional hands urgently needed at harvest, but the real major improvement was the development of the combine harvester. Harvesting methods have improved for many other crops. Mechanical harvesting has not in all cases reduced the cost of harvest, but the important contribution to progress is that it has greatly increased the chances of successful food production. Basically, technological progress depends on the flow of new ideas and their successful utilisation on a wide scale. Every science progresses by a mixture of theory and experiment. The harvesting of fodder crops has also been improved, mechanised systems for the feeding of stock have reduced the labour requirements for pig, poultry and dairy producers, especially when the stock are housed in specially designed buildings.
