1803. infiDin LnhcuKf ifr. 295 



would dvnw is, t];nt, in crofs-plougliiiipr heavy land, wLere a deep 

 furrow is judged reqinllre, and, confoqmmtly, where at leafl 

 tlirce horfes would be ufed, they ou;rht to be yoked abreaft, not 

 merely bccaufe it faves a driver, but becaufe they will be found 

 much nioie powerful in tlie <!rau)7lit, boili from be'in^, (o near it, 

 and of neccflity drawing together. I believe, indeed, they are equal 

 to four, where two are yoked as leaders •, and tins is not only 

 the opinion of the man who drove them, an excellent and ex- 

 pert ploughman, but of feveral neighbouring farmers who were 

 upon the field while they were at work. It is only in crofs- 

 ploughing that three horfes can be ufed abreafl ; for, in plough- 

 iiig' ridges lengthways, it would unavoidably occafion poaching 

 ■- n the ploughed land. It may pofTibly hve a little trouble in 

 ndjufting matters to thofe who might think of trying this me- 

 tliod, to mention, that I found mine "to ar.fwer very well. A 

 plough muzzle, wider, and a little itouter than that commonly 

 iiM, is neceffary ; about fixteep inches, with as many holes. 

 The reafon of this is, that the plough inclines to take a great 

 deal of land. To the muzzle is attached, in the common way, 

 a pretty flout plough-tree, five feet two inches long ; a fingle 

 horfe, with a comm.on plougli or harrow tree, is yoked to the 

 left hand or land end of the long free ; to the other end of it, 

 are yoked two horfes, precifely as if they were to be put into 

 the plough by them.felves. The off-fide, or right-liand liorfe, 

 goes in the furrow, in the ufual way, the other two on the land. 

 It is fcarcely necefiary to add, that the fingle horfe mud have as 

 much of the long tree as makes him equal to the other two — • 

 about three fifths ; but this will vary a little, according to the 

 relative flrength of the three horfes. For adjuRing this readi'y, 

 there is, on the fore part of the long tree, an iron plate, with 

 feveral holes in it. If thefe obfervations are worth your accept- 

 ance, they are very much at your fervice ; if not, it will be but 

 little trouble to throw them into the. fire. ^ M. 



March 4. 1803. 



P, S. — In confequence, probably, of the ikep plougliing of 

 j^iy fallow above mentioned, by bringing up good foil long bu- 

 ried, my wheat appears rather too thick, although fown with 

 only eight p^cks per Scotch acre : fix would probably Iiave been 



fu.^:cient= 



TO 



