This is an example of a hand planter, used in sowing corn crops. Mechanical hand planters like this particular model were introduced in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and were typically known as “bill picks” or “corn jobbers.” Supported by the metal leg, the operator jammed the point of the planter into the ground and pushed the handle forward. The forward-rocking motion caused the ‘bill” on the point to open and deposit the seed in the hill. Then the operator would move on to the next hill and repeat the process, ideally in the perfect rows that characterize corn growing. This planter practically doubled the speed at which corn could be sowed, compared to the traditional method of planting by hand.