474 Remarks on Mr Ducket's Skim Plough^ l^c, Nov. 



thoiigKt of to afcertain the force required is very infufTicient. 

 We had recourfe to a fpring dial ; but we found it fo much af- 

 fe6led by tlie fudden jerks of the horfes, that it proved nothing, 

 and impeded the reguhir motion of the plough. ' 



The writer of this paragraph has convi6led himfelf by fuch an 

 niTertion •, becaufe, had this fpring dial not been afFe£led by the 

 fudden j erics of the horfes, it is plain it could not have been ac* 

 curate *, for it mufl be acknowledged that thofe fudden jerks of 

 the horfes were owing to a greater exertion for a Ihort time, and 

 that if the fpring dial had not difcovered the force of this exer- 

 tion it would have been inaccurate and of little ufe. 



Every extra obftacle that the plough meets with caufes it to 

 draw harder, and the greater the number of thefo obftacics the 

 more general force is required ; all of which ought to be taken 

 into the account in meafuring the force exerted. Every diiTcrent 

 velocity of the horfes will make a difference in the acliual force 

 necelTarv to be applied to the plough. All other things being the 

 fame, the flower the pace of the horfes the lefs force will be re- 

 quired. 



The weight that the holder of the plough applies on the 

 handles mult make a material difference on the draught of the 

 horfes; and yet it makes part of their work, although it is no 

 part of ploughing. I have known this unneceflary weight on 

 the plough-tail caufe half the work of the horfes. 



It is very fortunate for Mr Ducket's fkim-plough that this 

 (whim) dial was thrown afide as ufelefs •, becaufe it is plain to 

 every one, that if the force was taken into the account, Mr 

 Ducket's plough mull ftand low in thelifl; and I can affure 

 M. Burgoyne, that although the fpring fteelyards were ufed at 

 the Woburn ploughing match, and Mr Ducket had a prize, that, 

 in the decifion, the force was not taken into the account, as it 

 made no part of the conditions of the premium. 



Mr Ducket's plough is certainly a very valuable instrument for 



covering the turf, ^<c. which certainly cannot be done without 



confiderable expence of power. Neither will it be believed by 



any pratlical farmer that it will * fo completely plough, in any 



* crop, three fett high, that not a blade fliall appear above ground ! * 



I have no wiih to detract from the merits of any inltrument, 



however fmall 5 at the fame time I elteem it a duty to correc'^l 



any falfe impreifions that may be made on the public mind, ei* 



thcr by ignorance or defign. 1 am, iSir, your moil obedient fer- 



vant, B. 13evan. 



Lc'ighton-Bcdsy September \q. 1804, 



BRANCH 



