Up until this period, farmers planted the seeds for cereal crops by carrying the seeds in a bag and walking up and down the field throwing or broadcasting the seed. They broadcast the seed by hand on to the ploughed and harrowed ground. The problem with this method was that it did not give a very even distribution. It was not, therefore, an efficient use of the seed and much of it was wasted.--Jethro Tull invented a Seed Drill which could be pulled behind a horse. It consisted of a wheeled vehicle containing a box filled with grain. There was a wheel-driven ratchet that sprayed the seed out evenly as the Seed Drill was pulled across the field.