Saskatchewan Farmers In The Early 1900's Tractors

In the early 1900’s tractors were not yet as advanced as they are today. Oxen pulled the first plows that cut into the prairie sod. They were very inexpensive, making it a good option for a farmer that didn’t have a lot of money. However, oxen were often stubborn and unreliable. As soon as farmers could afford to they replaced their oxen with horses. Although horses were more expensive they were much more obedient than the oxen were. Horses than became the main source of power for most Saskatchewan farmers for decades. The number of horses on Saskatchewan farms grew from 84,000 in 1905 to 507,000 in 1911 and by 1921 there were about 1,169,000 horses on Saskatchewan farms.