A three bottom plow at Bartley Ranch loop trail

Like the spring tooth harrow and the disc harrow, the three bottom plow is used to break up soil before crop growth.This three-blade plow is displayed together with other vintage-days farm equipment at the historic Bartley Ranch in Reno, Nevada. In old times—before plows were pulled by tractors—horses, mules or oxen had to do the job. As a panel at this site explains, the plow would also help mix in the fertilizer such manure. Dirt clods brought up by the plow would be broken up by pulling a disc harrow over the field. And a tool such as the spring tooth harrow would further loosen and refine the soil for planting.

Keywords: history, farm equipment, agricultural tillage tool, plowing, soil cultivation, interpretive trail.