at the Bristol Meetimj in 1842. 363 



Note on the Pulverizing Plough. 



The following particulars of the history, use, and experience of these 

 slicing-knives have been obligingly communicated to the judges by Mr. 

 John Stokes, of Pauntley Court, near Newent, farmer ; by Mr. Allen Stokes, 

 civil engineer, of Harvington, near Evesham ; and by Thomas Brown, Esq., 

 a magistrate of the county of Warwick, residing upon and farming his own 

 estate at Kinwarton, near Alcester. The statement of these gentlemen is 

 corroborated by Mr. William Mason, the maker of the plough exhibited at 

 Bristol. 



The knives were invented by Mr. Brown, who employed the father of 

 Mason, a blacksmith, to fit them to a plough about twenty years ago. Mr. 

 Brown originally placed one knife vertically, and another horizontally ; but, 

 finding the latter position to be most effective, he has continued to apply 

 them in that form only ; in which practice he has been followed by all who 

 have since adopted them. Mr. William Mason at that time lived with his 

 father, but afterwards engaged with a farmer as an agricultural labourer ; 

 and in his service acquired much skill as a ploughman, before settling 

 himself at Grafton as a blacksmith and ploughwright. 



In 1839 Mr. Allen Stokes altered the general form of the plough which 

 Mason was then in the habit of constructing ; and, particularly, for the 

 purpose of providing for the proper adaptation and adjustment of Mr. 

 Brown's knives. The first of these improved pulverizing ploughs was sent by 

 Mr. Allen Stokes, in 1839, to his kinsman Mr. John Stokes, of Pauntley 

 Court, whose farm contains between 300 and 400 acres of arable land 

 (rented of Osman Ricardo, Esq.), and consists of turnip and barley soil, 

 with a portion of wheat and bean land. 



Mr. Brown states, from his long experience of the knives, that they are 

 particularly useful in pulverizing his adhesive and very difficult soil, as 

 they save the harrowing, and thereby avoid the poaching of the horses' 

 feet; that he last year ploughed with them a two years' old turf, and 

 drilled wheat upon it without previous harrowing, using only a one-horse 

 harrow to cover the seed. Mr. John Stokes also observes that stiif clay land 

 is not left cloddy by the action of the knives, but will be found, in many 

 cases, fit for receiving the seed as they leave it. He agrees with Mr. 

 Brown that, when the land is ploughed in an unkind state, perhaps one of the 

 knives only may be found to work well ; and, when the soil has been much 

 trampled upon in wet weather, as on headlands, they will not work at all. In 

 a mellow, Iriable soil it is the practice to place the knives near to the ex- 

 tremity of the mouldboard, so as to catch and divide the slice as it falls 

 over ; but in a stiff soil it is found more advantageous to set them farther 

 oif, so as to make their cut just after the slice has taken its bed ; also, that 

 the most perfect pulverization is obtained by turning over the slice much 

 more obliquely than is customary, and even to reverse it as nearly as pos- 

 sible. Mr. Brown says, "I generally plough 8 inches deep and 10 inches 

 wide with the knives. I now invariably use the horses in line in my stiff 

 soil ; nothing is so prejudicial as their treading out of the furrow. I have 

 fully and fairly tried the horses abreast, but could not plough so well ; the 

 horses were worked too hard, and their trampling was very injurious." Mr. 

 John Stokes uses the horses in both ways, according to the quality of the 

 soil, and the strength required. Both the Messrs. Stokes and Mr. Brown 

 state their opinion that the advantage of the two-wheel plough, when using 

 the knives, is so self-evident, that there can be no question as to its 

 superiority over the swing-plough for that purpose. Mr. John Stokes has ap- 

 plied them to a one-wheel plough, and it worked pretty well, but required 

 holding; whereas, he observes, "the two-wheel ploughs; furnished with the 



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