On Agricultural Mechanics. 107 



certain to give great facility to the extension amongst them of the 

 admirable system of subsoil-ploughing." 



On the same principle, and similar in its mode of action to the 

 subsoil-plough, is the rackheath-plough, invented by Sir Edward 

 Stracey. 



3. The Plough. 



The plough has always been the most important of agricultural 

 implements. Its origin is as ancient as the art of agriculture. 

 In the earlier portion of our world's history it was very simple. 

 Mankind, scattered few and far between, did not then require to 

 make use of the poorer and more unprofitable descriptions of soil, 

 and the rich lands they tilled yielded them ample return, though 

 but very slightly cultivated. This implement, accordingly, as 

 then used, merely scratched the surface of the ground, or stirred 

 it a few inches deep. Since then great alterations have been 

 made in its form. The implement has been made not only to 

 stir the soil, but to turn a sod. This probably took place when 

 experience had taught that the poorer soils, which were at length 

 brought into cultivation, could not be profitably tilled by a mere 

 stirring of the surface. Even now, the form of many of our 

 ploughs shows plainly the origin from whence they sprung. The 

 pointed stick, which was originally used, was, probably, gradually 

 widened out into the form of a cone ; and, to render its action 

 efficient, the under part of this cone being cut away, we at once 

 have the rounded breast and primitive appearance of many of our 

 mould-boards. Unless we consider this to be the origin of this 

 form of the mould-board, it is difficult to conceive how experience 

 and practice would lead to the opinion, so manifestly inaccurate, 

 that this is the best form, the one of easiest draught. 



Of no implement is there a greater variety than of the plough. 

 There are full-breasted ploughs, and hollow-breasted plouglis ; 

 there are wheel and swing ploughs ; ploughs with fixed mould - 

 boards, and turn-wrest ploughs ; ploughs with two handles, and 

 one-handled ploughs. 



The writer of an excellent article '' On Ploughs and Plough- 

 ing," in the ' Farmer's Magazine' for January, 1841, divides all 

 these into three classes : the Scotch swing-plough ; the midland 

 counties plough with one or two wheels; and the turn- wrest 

 plough of some southern districts. The present Scotch plough 

 is entirely different from the plough in general use thirty or 

 forty years ago. There were, indeed, as great a variety in that 

 country then as there are in England now. When, however, this 

 form was introduced, it soon obtained almost universal adop- 

 tion, and is now the only implement of the kind in use. It is 

 curious that it should not have spread southwards as rapidly as it 



