Before lawn mowers, keeping a lawn was hard work. In Europe, wealthy landowners often used sheep to graze grass short around their estates. That changed in 1830 when English engineer Edwin Budding invented the first lawn mower powered by two people and later by a horse. By the early 1900s, mowers could be powered by one person, and lawns were spreading across America, and after World War II they became a symbol of suburban life. Researchers estimate that turfgrass is now the largest irrigated crops in the United States, covering tens of millions of acres.
Growing Home - Before Lawn Mowers
