höyrykasvatus

Höyrykasvatus, often translated as steam cultivation or steam plowing, was a method of plowing fields using steam power. It was developed in the mid-19th century and saw its peak usage in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The primary advantage of steam cultivation was its ability to exert significantly more power than traditional horse or ox-drawn plows, allowing for deeper tilling and the cultivation of heavier soils that were previously difficult to work.

The system typically involved two steam engines, one placed at each end of the field. A heavy, multi-furrow plow was then pulled back and forth across the field by a wire rope or cable connecting the two engines. One engine would be winding the rope to pull the plow towards it, while the other engine would be paying out the rope. Once the plow reached the other side, the roles would reverse. This method allowed for continuous plowing and was more efficient than moving a single engine across the field with the plow.

Höyrykasvatus was particularly prevalent in areas with large, flat fields, such as parts of Britain and other industrialized nations. It enabled farmers to increase crop yields and bring more land under cultivation. However, the high initial cost of the machinery, the need for skilled operators, and the substantial fuel consumption (often coal) limited its widespread adoption. The advent of more powerful and efficient internal combustion engines and tractors in the early 20th century gradually led to the decline and eventual obsolescence of steam cultivation.