ON THE AGRICULTURE OF THE COUNTY OF SUTHERLAND. 45 



This was attained liy the introduction of a large revolving disc 

 culter, sot to act slightly below the depth of the share. It 

 will 1)0 noticed that this provision will cause the plough, when 

 it strikes a houldor, to rise over it; and this it does in the most 

 efficient manner. The plough so arranged was balanced on 

 four rollers — two for guiding the depth on the land side, and two 

 on tlio furrow side for the joint purpose of balancing tlie plough 

 and assisting the mould-board to complete the turning of the 

 furrow. The next object to be attained was to get something 

 in the shape of a hook attached to the plough to pull out the 

 1)oul(ler after the plough had passed over it. A large hook, 

 like the claw of an anchor, now well known as the " Duke's 

 Toothi)ick," was designetl and hinged on to the plough at each 

 end ; and this addition not only answered the pui-pose of pulling 

 out the boulder, but acted otherwise as an efficient subsoiler, 

 breaking the " pan," and thus rendering the drainage mucli more 

 eU'ective. Tins " toothpick," however, having to be kept in its 

 work by means of leverage from the tail-rope, was the cause of 

 considerable delay in the readju'stment of the plough at the end 

 of the furrow for the return bout, and a scheme has been de- 

 vised by which pressure is now thrown from the one end to the 

 other by a self-acting arrangement of loop-hne. Since then 

 another addition has been made to the implement, which is now 

 perhaps the most effective part of it. A large mould-board has 

 been added to the " toothpick," and the stones are not only now 

 loosened, but a great many of them are thrown out, and a large 

 quantity of subsoil, &c., is thrown on the surface of the first 

 furrow, covering and blindmg the tough " divoty " surface. The 

 plougli is now capable of taking a furrow 20 inches broad, to 

 a depth of from 2 to 3 feet, and under favourable circum- 

 stances covers about 3 acres a-day. The cost of the implement 

 is £150. 



The next implement used is what is know^l as the " discor." 

 It consists of a frame, from 15 to 20 feet long, on four wheels, 

 which is the steerage frame. Under the frame are carried, by 

 whipple-trees in the usual way, two or three shafts. These shafts 

 are each mounted with eight to ten sharp cutting discs about 3 

 feet in diameter. They are set so as to cut at an angle to the line 

 of work, and in this way not only cut and scrape, but turn a furrow. 

 The different sets are also so arranged as to cut at reverse angles, 

 and the soil gets completely pulverised without tearing up any 

 of the tough sods from below. Since these discs never clog and 

 cannot possibly catch hold of stones or other obstructionrthey 

 are driven at a high speed, which renders the cultivation much 

 more effective. I'revious to the invention of this implement, the 

 greatest possible difficulty was experienced in getting anytliing 

 like a seed-bed on the tough bentv matter which forms the sur- 



