Blue Ridge Country - September/October 2014 - 50

MccorMick
reaper
The Ag IndusTrIAl
revoluTIon BegAn
In vIrgInIA's
shenAndoAh vAlley
by Mason Adams

CyRus mCCoRmiCk's invention, his
Business sense and his
deteRmination influenCed not
only agRiCultuRe, But also the Civil
waR and Business pRaCtiCes that
suRvive today.
The rolling hills and valleys of western Virginia

today feel far removed from large-scale industrial
agriculture.
But in the mid-19th century the region contributed heavily to feeding the still-new United States of
America, serving as the highest grain-producing region
in one of the highest grain-producing states.
And, the Valley of Virginia produced in that era a
man who would forever leave a mark on American
agriculture and business in general: Cyrus McCormick.
His invention of the reaper dramatically changed
50 | BlueRidgeCountry.com

food production around the world. It represented the
first major advance in grain-harvesting technology
since the scythe came along to supplement the sickle.
Farmers have only a small window - 10 days or so - in
which to harvest their grain for the year. With a sickle,
a person could harvest about half an acre of grain in a
day. In one of his first field exhibitions of the reaper,
McCormick harvested six acres in an afternoon.
"It is not an exaggeration to say that the invention
of the reaper there in 1831 was the beginning of the
agricultural industrial revolution," says Jay Gilliam,


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Blue Ridge Country - September/October 2014

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Blue Ridge Country - September/October 2014

BRC Unlocked
From the Editor
From the Farm
Creature Feature
Great Buys
Country Roads
Festivals & Events
50 Great Things to Do in the Mountains this Fall
Photoessay: The Crispness of the Air and of the Leaves
Roanoke, Va.: A Resident Enjoys her Town as a Visitor
Blue Ridge Parkway Views: The Detail
Cyrus McCormick: The Agricultural Industrial Revolution Began Here
Locavore Dining: It’s All in the Details Right Out Back
Mountain Garden
Cabin in the Woods: Hidden Mountain Resort
Guest Column
Blue Ridge Country - September/October 2014 - Intro
Blue Ridge Country - September/October 2014 - Cover1
Blue Ridge Country - September/October 2014 - Cover2
Blue Ridge Country - September/October 2014 - 3
Blue Ridge Country - September/October 2014 - 4
Blue Ridge Country - September/October 2014 - BRC Unlocked
Blue Ridge Country - September/October 2014 - From the Editor
Blue Ridge Country - September/October 2014 - 7
Blue Ridge Country - September/October 2014 - From the Farm
Blue Ridge Country - September/October 2014 - 9
Blue Ridge Country - September/October 2014 - Creature Feature
Blue Ridge Country - September/October 2014 - Great Buys
Blue Ridge Country - September/October 2014 - Country Roads
Blue Ridge Country - September/October 2014 - 13
Blue Ridge Country - September/October 2014 - 14
Blue Ridge Country - September/October 2014 - 15
Blue Ridge Country - September/October 2014 - Festivals & Events
Blue Ridge Country - September/October 2014 - 17
Blue Ridge Country - September/October 2014 - 18
Blue Ridge Country - September/October 2014 - 19
Blue Ridge Country - September/October 2014 - 20
Blue Ridge Country - September/October 2014 - 21
Blue Ridge Country - September/October 2014 - 22
Blue Ridge Country - September/October 2014 - 23
Blue Ridge Country - September/October 2014 - 50 Great Things to Do in the Mountains this Fall
Blue Ridge Country - September/October 2014 - 25
Blue Ridge Country - September/October 2014 - 26
Blue Ridge Country - September/October 2014 - 27
Blue Ridge Country - September/October 2014 - 28
Blue Ridge Country - September/October 2014 - 29
Blue Ridge Country - September/October 2014 - 30
Blue Ridge Country - September/October 2014 - 31
Blue Ridge Country - September/October 2014 - 32
Blue Ridge Country - September/October 2014 - 33
Blue Ridge Country - September/October 2014 - Photoessay: The Crispness of the Air and of the Leaves
Blue Ridge Country - September/October 2014 - 35
Blue Ridge Country - September/October 2014 - 36
Blue Ridge Country - September/October 2014 - 37
Blue Ridge Country - September/October 2014 - Roanoke, Va.: A Resident Enjoys her Town as a Visitor
Blue Ridge Country - September/October 2014 - 39
Blue Ridge Country - September/October 2014 - 40
Blue Ridge Country - September/October 2014 - 41
Blue Ridge Country - September/October 2014 - 42
Blue Ridge Country - September/October 2014 - 43
Blue Ridge Country - September/October 2014 - 44
Blue Ridge Country - September/October 2014 - Blue Ridge Parkway Views: The Detail
Blue Ridge Country - September/October 2014 - 46
Blue Ridge Country - September/October 2014 - 47
Blue Ridge Country - September/October 2014 - 48
Blue Ridge Country - September/October 2014 - 49
Blue Ridge Country - September/October 2014 - Cyrus McCormick: The Agricultural Industrial Revolution Began Here
Blue Ridge Country - September/October 2014 - 51
Blue Ridge Country - September/October 2014 - 52
Blue Ridge Country - September/October 2014 - 53
Blue Ridge Country - September/October 2014 - Locavore Dining: It’s All in the Details Right Out Back
Blue Ridge Country - September/October 2014 - 55
Blue Ridge Country - September/October 2014 - 56
Blue Ridge Country - September/October 2014 - 57
Blue Ridge Country - September/October 2014 - 58
Blue Ridge Country - September/October 2014 - 59
Blue Ridge Country - September/October 2014 - Mountain Garden
Blue Ridge Country - September/October 2014 - 61
Blue Ridge Country - September/October 2014 - 62
Blue Ridge Country - September/October 2014 - 63
Blue Ridge Country - September/October 2014 - Cabin in the Woods: Hidden Mountain Resort
Blue Ridge Country - September/October 2014 - 65
Blue Ridge Country - September/October 2014 - Guest Column
Blue Ridge Country - September/October 2014 - Cover3
Blue Ridge Country - September/October 2014 - Cover4
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