Read the text below and then answer the question that follows.
The settlers in the midwest cultivated the fertile land and made large grain-producing farms. In 1831, cyrus mccormick built a mechanical reaper. The reaper provided a way for acres and acres of wheat to be harvested with only a few workers. The midwest became the "bread basket" of the nation.
Based on the text, what can you conclude about the invention of the reaper?
a) it was inefficient compared to the plow and sickle.
b) it required several farm workers to operate.
c) it shifted production from agriculture to industry.
d) it increased agricultural productivity in the midwest.
