REPORTS OF COMMITTEES. Ill 



with four each, and one span of horses. The competitors were 

 all animated, and it was truly an interesting occasion. 



There were eighteen yoke of oxen, for the most part, well 

 matched for color and strength. Some were large and well 

 developed, being a mixture of Durham and Native ; in others 

 the Devon blood prevailed, and they were handsome and spry. 

 All were well equipped with yokes and good ploughs of different 

 models. The double swivel or side hill, the double Michigan, 

 Ruggles, Nourse & Mason's deep tiller and Eagle, Nos. 31 and 

 75, Prouty & Mears' Michigan, No. 85, Robinson's, of New 

 Hampshire, all claiming to be superior ploughs. Fourteen able 

 bodied men stood ready to try their skill in one of the most 

 important and interesting departments of Agriculture. The 

 word was given, the competitors were at tlieir post, grasping 

 the handles of the plough, with a steady hand commenced their 

 task, the ox teams, for the most part, showed tliat tliey had 

 skilful masters and were now ready to perform their bidding. 

 The ploughmen showed great skill, which must have been 

 acquired by practice and strict observation. 



The ploughs all did good work. There was one wliich 

 attracted my attention as superior to any otlier plough for the 

 purpose for which it was made. It was the double swivel, 

 which combines the side hill with the Michigan, made by the 

 enterprising firm of Ruggles, Nourse & Mason. It was drawn 

 by four cattle, cutting a furrow twelve inches wide and ten 

 inches deep. This plough is admirably calculated where there 

 is a deep soil. It stirs the soil thoroughly, and leaves the sur- 

 face in good condition for working. There was also a plough 

 called the deep tiller, made by the same firm. They did the 

 work well, cutting a furrow from ten to fourteen inches wide, 

 and from seven to ten inches deep, stirring the soil thoroughly. 



I also noticed a beautiful plough made by Prouty & Mears, 

 No. 85. It cut a furrow twelve inches wide and ten inches 

 deep, and did the work well. 



Tiiese ploughs were all superior in their mechanical propor- 

 tions, turning a clean furrow, deep or more shallow, narrow or 

 wide, easily gauged to whatever depth the ploughman may 

 desire. The double-swivel plough is now a favorite with many 

 of our farmers, and I should think it would be more generally 



