22 Farming of Bedfordshire. 



— At the period of Mr. Stone's Report, viz. 1794, there was 

 scarcely any save the old Bedfordshire wooden plough, with one 

 handle fixed and the other loose, the latter handle used at will as 

 a spud or cleaner to the plough, the whole being of the rudest 

 construction ; the breast or mould- board was made of wood, 

 without the slightest reference to the form in which the furrow- 

 slice should be turned over ; so that, after being cut through with 

 the share, if the ploughman happened to be finishing his land or 

 ridge, and the ground were at all elevated on his right, it was not 

 uncommon for the furrow-slice (when in turf) to fall back into its 

 original bed for chains together. The ploughman, under these 

 circumstances, leaving hold of his plough, had to run back, to 

 stop, if possible, its progress. This need excite no surprise, for 

 the plough merely formed a wedge, raising the furrow to a given 

 point, leaving it to the mere chapter of accidents which way it 

 would fall. Indeed, the author of the ' Bedfordshire Survey ' 

 was himself so wedded to the old wooden plough that, as late 

 as the year 1821, he Avas confronted on his own farm with a 

 Ransome's L. L. plough, which put Mr. Bachelor completely 

 into the shade, both as regards the superiority of the work and 

 the lightness of draught, as tried by a dynamometer, notwith- 

 standing that the modern implement was double the weight of 

 the old wooden one. 



It is but justice, however, to say that Mr. Bachelor's brother, 

 about this time, constructed a very strong plough for the clay- 

 land of the county, and which would plough it in its hardest and 

 most sterile condition. Tliis implement was made with a strong 

 wooden beam, iron neck and breast, with two wheels, and was 

 certainly a great improvement on all previous Bedfordshire 

 ploughs. The inventor won several prizes with this plough at 

 the annual meetings of the County Society. It was, however, 

 subsequently beaten, both by Ransoine's and Howard's iron 

 ploughs ; and here it is just that we should make mention of the 

 extraordinary success which the Messrs. Howard of Bedford have 

 met with of late years with their patent iron two-wheel plough, 

 which has made its way into every county in England, and numbers 

 have been sent abroad. Their harrows and steel-tined liorse-drags 

 are scarcely less appreciated. It would not be right, however, to 

 pass over other very good ploughs that have been recently con- 

 structed in this county, such as those by Mr, Taylor, Mr. 

 Williams, and Mr. Hensman. 



The last-named gentleman was the inventor of the simplest 

 and best coulter-fastener we have yet seen. Indeed it may be 

 said that no county in England can now boast of better pleughs 

 or of more skilful ploughlnen. To say nothing of the scores of 

 local ploughing-matches where these ploughs have proved sue- 



