A[/ricultural Implements and Produce. 39 



Subjoined is the report of the experiment on ploughs, furnished 

 by Mr. Amos, my colleague, consulting engineer of the English 

 Agricultural Society, who assisted at the trials. 



Teials of Ploughs, 



Trappes, July 7tli, 1855. 



Fifteen were used from various countries. A great difficulty 

 was experienced in obtaining the names and addresses of the 

 exhibitors, through the cards or marks not being placed on them. 

 This accounts for the imperfection of the first colum.n, viz., 

 " Makers' Names." 



The land was light, and offered but little I'esistance to well- 

 made ploughs, but the experiments would have been more valu- 

 able had more " field room " been given, so that each plough 

 could have made three or four turns before the dynamometer 

 was applied. Each plough should also have worked to tlie same 

 depth, as the ground was harder at bottom. 



The " ground " is also usually harder near the old " water 

 furrow," and lighter near the old " ridge ; " hence each plough 

 should have had a " land " or " ridge " to itself, and then, had 

 the dynamometer been applied at an equal distance from the old 

 " furrow," greater truth would have been obtained. 



The dynamometers tried were one provided by the French, 

 one from Denmark, and one from England (by Bentall). The 

 latter was used, but it is imperfect when used with ploughs of 

 " light draught," as it gives the " resistance " of such ploughs 

 too small. This arises from the driving " disc-plate " having a 

 hole in its centre ; and although that hole is of no consequence 

 or inconvenience when ploughs are used on " heavy land," yet 

 when used with ploughs of small I'esistance on " light lands," 

 the spring of the dynamometer is not compressed enough to keep 

 the " driving-disc " clear of the hole ; hence the " registration " 

 is too small with light ploughs. This may account in some 

 degree for the difference {as recorded) in the draught of the 

 ploughs of our best makers. 



Tlie following table gives the length, breadth, and depth of 

 " earth removed," which, being multiplied together, gives a 

 " total " in cubic feet. The tabular number in the seventh 

 column is. the number recorded by the dynamometer. This 

 number in each case multiplied by 100, and the product divided 

 by the number of cubic feet of earth removed in each experiment, 

 gives the tabular numbers in the eighth column. The numbers 

 in the eighth column show the " comparative cost " or " cxjicndi- 

 tiire of poiccr^^ of removing an equal quantity of land, the lon'cr 

 number showing \\\e greater degree of excellence of the implement. 



