Abstract:
Farming was hard work in North Carolina during the 1800s, with all the work done by hand, aided by mules for extra power. During the latter part of the century, many people, including John Blue of Laurinburg, were inventing machines to make farm work easier. Among Blue's inventions were a cotton planter made of iron and a machine to spread fertilizer. Blue and his father went into the farm implement business together. This small business grew into a large plant where implements were made and a foundry where iron was melted and cast into the parts the company needed. The John Blue Company was sold in 1967 and now produces large sprayers for agriculture under the name of CDS-John Blue Company.