PLOUGHING. 143 



The plough entered by Mr. Alley was fresh from the Agri- 

 cultural warehouse of Parker, Gannett & Osgood, of Boston, 

 marked " Lion, No. 61." It was operated by Mr. Winslow, 

 and for the sake of convenience his name is here used instead 

 of Mr. Alley's, the owner. 



Mr. Winslow held his plough upright, and accordingly left 

 the bottom of the furrow flat and the land side of the furrow 

 perpendicular. Mr. W. is an accomplished ploughman, the 

 uniform width of his furrows and consequent uniform width 

 of his land, were preserved admirably from beginning to end. 

 Mr. Winslow's furrows were cut about two-thirds of an inch 

 narrower than Mr. Barker's, the effect probably of holding the 

 plough upright. It was interesting to notice his calculation 

 for the last furrow. For some reason not explained to the 

 committee, Mr. Winslow arranged to leave off at the end oppo- 

 site to that where he began, and in effecting this it became 

 necessary to go once over the ground without any furrow. The 

 width of the final furrow was as uniform throughout as though 

 gaged by a carpenter, and the turning of this furrow was per- 

 formed to admiration. 



Mr. Barker's plough would have ranked very high a few years 

 ago, but since the "Lion" of the Boston house, already men- 

 tioned, has taken the field, it is useless for any but the very best 

 to attempt to compete. That Mr. Barker's plough cut its fur- 

 rows nearly an inch wider than Mr. Winslow's appeared to be 

 the effect of leaning it to the right. 



Although Mr Winslow finished his work one minute before 

 Mr. Baker, yet it was not on that account that the first pre- 

 mium was ?"'ai\xd o him. This is stated for the purpose of 

 assuring compethV _-s, that speed alone is not the true criterion. 

 Farmers must watch the improvements constantly being made 

 in the plough as well as other implements for the farm, and 

 avail themselves of such improvements. We are seeing the 

 day when more intellect is expended in a single year upon 

 improvements in the plough, than was formerly put in requisi- 

 tion in a century. And notwithstanding the great perfection to 

 which this implement is carried, the constant advance that is 

 being made almost warrants us saying that the field of com- 

 petition is as open as ever it was. Some seven years ago, a 

 member of our committee paid thirteen dollars for a celebrated 



