THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



43 



appear which the Judges couaider worthy of further trial, in 

 any way or in any ground ttey may choose. 



Prizes. — lat, £2, and a Medal to the Maker, an:l the High- 

 land Society's Medal to the Holder. 2nd, £2. 3rd, £1 lOs. 

 4tb, £1. 5tli, 15i. 



An Extra Medal will be given to the Maker of the best 

 Plough of the class which fails to carry off the Tirst Prize. 



Ploughs Entered for the Strathord Ploughing 

 Match, 1860. 



[X few of the above ploughs were not present.1 

 In following out the above instructions, we devoted our 

 attention the first day to testing the merits of the com- 

 peting ploughs on le.i, and on the second day to testing 

 them in cross-ploughing land that had been turned up in 

 the autumn. 



The fields on which the lea-plougliing was tried were hay 

 stubble, the soil being of medium stiffness or tenacity, in 

 some parts most uniform in character, in others rather thin 

 of soil, with gravelly subsoil. In our decisions, we took 

 into account the variations of the soil. Being requested by 

 the committee to direct our attention to the proper form of 

 the furrow, the proper laying of it over, and the burying of 

 the grass, we observed that attempts were made to accom- 

 plish these objects in three marked and different ways : 1st. 

 By an almost rectangular furrow, with the width too great 

 in proportion to its depth, thus causing it to be turned too 

 much over, as represented in J. and R. Howard's wheel- 

 plough. 2nd. By the pressing of a slightly-crested furrow 

 by means of a convex mould-board, as represented in 

 Richard Hornsby and Sons' ploughs. 3rd. By cutting the 

 furrow of a trapezoidal form, or rather of an irregular form 

 of unequal depths at the two sides, and in some instances 

 slightly deficient in depth or thickness in its middle ; such 

 a furrow, when turned over and placed in its proper position, 

 presents a sharp apex, crest, or shoulder, snd was repre- 

 sented by Andrew Gray's swing-plough, No, 4, and James 

 Finlayson 's wheel-plough, No. 6. 



According to the first method, the effect is to lay the fur- 

 row too much on its back, a position justly condemned by 

 all practical men, as, though the grass may be well covered, 

 the same amount of mould cannot generally bs obtained for 



the covering of the seed as in the crested furrow. Accord- 

 ing to the second method, considerable pressure is required 

 to maintain the furrow in the proper position; and often, 

 in the case of old lea or stiff soils, the elasticity of the turf 

 overcomes the pressure, the furrow tends to stand on edge, 

 and an opening is left between the furrows— so that in sow- 

 ing, some of the seed drops to the bottom of the opening, 

 and an irregular braird and consequent unequal ripening of 

 the crop is produced. We observed this opening of the fur- 

 rows to have taken place in some degree the day after the 

 lea was ploughed, in Nos. 24 and 27, Honisby's wheel- 

 ploughs. We consider a crest or shoulder in the lea furrow 

 — whether of the form of a rhomboid or trapezoid, but espe- 

 cially the latter— an advantage in most of the soils of Scot- 

 land, in the present circumstances of agriculture, for the fol- 

 lowing reasons : 1st. Because the grass is more easily 

 buried by this form of furrow, and consequently the ground 

 kept cleaner. 2nd. Because there is more compactness, 

 and less tendency of the furrow to open up again after being 

 laid over, as its edge falls into the hollow or groove in the 

 middle of the furrow previously turned over. 3rd. Because 

 more mould is obtained, and less harrowing required, for the 

 covering of the seed. 4th. Because, en account of the com- 

 pactness of the furrows, a more regular and equal braird, 

 and earlier and more equal ripening of the crop, are pro- 

 duced. While we give the preference to a crested furrow 

 in lea ploughing, we do not extend this preference to all 

 kinds of crested furrows ; for many ploughmen not 

 acquainted with the proper way of dressing their 

 irons often overdo the crest, and produce work 

 that is not firmly put together, and cannot support the 

 treading of men and horses. We are happy to say that there 

 were few instances of this at the Strathord trial of ploughs. 

 And Vie wish it to bs particularly understood that we do not 

 approve of the crested form of farrow in stubble-ploughing : 

 for even in lea-ploughing we consider it a disadvantage of the 

 crested furrow in leaving part of the soil at the bottom of the 

 furrow not turned up— a disadvantage, however, more than 

 counterbalanced by the advantages mentioned above ; but in 

 stubble-ploughing or in crossing we consider it a much greater 

 disadvantage, and a most decided fault, as there the bottom 

 of the furrow should be as level as possible. 



Though we give the preference to the crested furrow in 

 lea-ploughing', we would not have it supposed that we under- 

 rate the advantages of the rectangular furrow in the same de- 

 scription of ploughing. We may mention what we consider 

 three of the most important of the«e advantages : 1st, By 

 means of it the greatest solid contents of eoil can be turned 

 over at the least expense of labour ; 2nd, The greatest sur- 

 face is exposed to the action of the atmosphere; and 3rd, 

 From the furrow being wider, there is a considerable saving 

 of time in ploughing the same extent of land. We would re- 

 mark, however, that an exact rectangular furrow, when turned 

 over and laid in position,, is not compatible with a perfectly 

 level furrow sole, which ia theory is the case. For the effect 

 of friction, so often overlooked in theoretical calculations, ia 

 here not taken into account. It must be apparent to every- 

 one that a furrow of a soft material, like soil of any descrip- 

 tion, cut exactly rectangular, will not have quite that shape 

 when laid in position, as t'.ie part near the apex being sub- 

 jected to considerably more abrasion or friction than any other 

 part, from the mould-board raising it and turning it over, will 

 be somewhat flatter, and the furrow will have the appearance 

 of being laid too much on it3 back ; and hence, to make an 

 exactly rectangular furrow in position, it should be cut some- 

 what deeper at the land-side, or at the point of the sock, than 



