MECHANICS AND USEFUL AETS. 131 



sharpening. The whole is plain, simple, cheap, strong, and what is more, has 

 been thoroughly tested. 



Proposed Improvement in the Construction of the Plough. The following pro- 

 posal for an improvement in the construction of the plough, was lately made at 

 an agricultural meeting in Great Britain. The object proposed to be effected 

 was to change the present mode of action of the plough, which is hi reality a 

 wedge forcibly dragged through the soil, lifting up that portion which is above 

 it, at the expense of hardening or making more compact that portion which is 

 below it. This mode of action has a tendency to harden and glaze over the 

 subsoil, or that part of the soil on which the sole of the plough rests in its 

 passage. The remedy proposed consists hi the adaptation of rollers to the sole 

 shoe, or in adding a hind wheel, notched or teethed, so that when following 

 in the track of the sole shoe the notches or teeth may break up the smooth 

 track formed by its action. The proposer of these two modes of improving 

 the plough seems to think most favorably of the idea of rollers (whose mode of 

 action, however, he does not specify), as they would not only prevent the 

 glazing and hardening, but would, in his opinion, lessen the draught. 



Subsoil Plough. This improved agricultural implement, invented by Mr. 

 "Wilson, of England, consists of an ordinary earth-fork to which is attached a 

 long handle, bent to about ten inches to the foot out of the straight line, in 

 the plane of the fork's prongs. A small transverse handle is attached to this 

 main lever, at about the usual height of a spade handle, on the side opposite 

 that to which the main lever is inclined. This enables the user to guide 

 the implement into the earth. The prongs are straight, so that either the 

 right or left foot may be used. When the prongs have been sunk up to the 

 neck into the subsoil, the extreme end of the main lever is acted upon to bring 

 a powerful lifting pressure upon the soil. 



Self-Holding Plough. A new self-holding plough, the invention of Mr. Bin- 

 kerhoof, ef Batavia, N. T., has the following peculiarities. It differs but little 

 from some other ploughs now in use, but with the addition of a guiding wheel 

 about two and a half feet in diameter, which runs in the furrow, and guides 

 the plough, gauging the width of the furrow, while another wheel of less 

 diameter supports the plough on the opposite side. The grounds ploughed were 

 a stiff sod with a heavy clay subsoil, and which would try the merits of the 

 machine most effectually, yet it did its work perfectly, with no assistance from 

 the driver except in turning at the ends. 



Hunt's Horse Power. Dr. Eichard Hunt, of Freeport, 111., lately patented 

 a simple construction for making horse power available, w T hich, though 

 involving a large weight of timber, is advertised to cost but $50. From 

 one to twelve animals may be employed walking in a circle upon the 

 ground, and turning a heavy horizontal wheel to which they are directly 

 attached, and which they hi fact walk within. The wheel is geared at its 

 periphery, and transmits a high velocity without further multiplication. The 

 principal novelty consists hi making this wheel of such weight that it requires 

 no framing whatever, and supporting the load on small iron wheels which 

 travel around on a raised track just within the horse path. The expedient is 

 simple and admirable. 



