Seed drill
The Seed drill was invented by Jethro Tull in 1701: It allowed farmers to sow seeds in well spaced rows at specific depths. Prior to this method (broadcasting), famers simply cast seeds on the ground for them to grow where they landed. Much of these seeds remained on the surface ground where they never germinated, or germinated prematurely, only to be killed by frost.
This invention gave farmers much greater control over the depth of the seed that was planted, and the ability to cover up the seeds without back tracking. This greater control meant that fewer seeds germinated early or late.
Over the years seed drills have become more advanced and sophisticated, but the technology has remained substantially the same. The first seed drills were small enough to be drawn by a single horse, but the availibility of steam and later, gasoline tractors saw the development of larger and more efficient drills that allowed farmers to seed even larger tracts in a single day.