287 
into the ground, one piece with the share itself; or at last a revolving cutter, attached below 
the beam. ‘The latter arrangement seems excellent to cut turf and roots in marshy ground 
that is to be broken up. 
The most interesting ploughs from America were exhibited by— 
1. Collins & Co., Hartford, Connecticut. Collins & Co.’s ploughs are of different sizes, 
from three inches to one and a half feet in depth, otherwise built on the very same plan; 
thus the connecting irons, screws, &c., of one size will do for all the others. Their steel 
smoothing-boards, cast, according to statements, in polished forms, are highly polished, so as 
to warrant easy work. Their extraordinary lightness is another advantage, those for seven 
inches depth weighing forty, and those ploughing fourteen inches deep no more than ninety- 
five pounds. 
2 eer & Co., Moline, Illinois. The same as the former, except as to double or ° 
Ruchadlo shares with some numbers, on the Bohemian plan, of German, probably Westpha- 
lian, steel, as the manufacturers assure us. Sometimes the whole lower part of the share 
and both smoothing-boards are formed of one single piece. Their depth is very uniform, 
from 12 to 14 inches, (destined for prairie soil. ) 
3. Hall & Speer, Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, whose ploughs showed some essentially different 
qualities from those of other firms; rod-iron strongly-bent beams, shares with attached blade 
for cutter, and also a peculiar connection of the beam with the body of the plough, giving 
great firmness to the latter. The connection of all these parts is effected by means of screws, 
the heads of which are sunk, so as to afford an even surface. These ploughs are constructed 
of very different sizes, ranging from 60 to 150 pounds each, and from 103 to 17 dollars, 
respectively. 
4. Canadian ploughs, by Mahaffy in Brampton, Gray in Eomondville, and Dunean in 
Markham, all having rod-iron or cast-steel smoothing-boards, more like the English than 
like the American patterns, and instead of being concave they were convexed like those by 
Hornsby in England, and had very long handles. Those plonghs exhibited by Mahaffy and 
Gray had wooden handles and beams, while Duncan’s were entirely composed of iron. Con- 
cerning their construction and technical execution, these Canadian ploughs were by no means 
inferior to those from the United States; their workmanship every way being worthy of 
imitation. 
ENCOURAGEMENT OF SILK CULTURE. 
The State of California has enacted a law for the encouragement of silk cul- 
ture, to the following effect : 
Each person growing and cultivating within the State, in a manner suitable for permanent 
silk culture, 5,U00 or more mulberry trees of the age of two years, shall be entitled to a 
premium of $250. A premium of $300 will also be paid for each 100,000 silk cocoons, in 
good condition, provided no premium shall have been previously paid on any such cocoons. 
The law shall continue ia force for four years from April 2, 1866, and the act then passed 
for the encouragement of silk culture is repealed, and no person hereafter allowed premiums 
under both acts. The conditions and requirements of an act for the encouragement of silk 
eulture, of April 25. and 27, 1863, shall apply to this act which shall take effect from and 
after passage. 
