To cut down the wheat more quickly and more efficiently.
In Europe. The land where most myths come from.
the mechanical reaper was invented in Virginia.
The reaper was a horse drawn farm implement invented by Cyrus Hall McCormick in 1831 to cut small grain crops. The mechanical reaper replaced the manual cutting of the crop with scythes and sickles....
As far as I know, the reaper was demonstrated in tests in 1831 and was patented by McCormick in 1834.
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