SOLON ROBINSON, 1841 287 



the feed. But we lack the beautiful blue grass pastures 

 of Kentucky, for fall feed. Even now, near the middle 

 of December, notwithstanding we have had a hard fall 

 for this country, this grass is green and good. Even 

 timothy or red top would yet afford "a good bite." 



The next wonder is about ploughing. And if, my dear 

 reader, you who have ploughed so many acres of green 

 sward with old "Duke & Darby," could only see a "prairie 

 team," you would wonder still more. 



Fancy upon a level smooth piece of ground, free from 

 sticks, stumps and stones, a team of four, five, or even 

 six yoke of oxen, hitched to a pair of cart wheels, and 

 to them hitched a plough with a beam fourteen feet long, 

 and the share, &c. of which weigh from sixty to one hun- 

 dred and twenty-five pounds, of wrought iron and steel, 

 and which cuts a furrow from sixteen to twenty-four 

 inches wide, and you will figure the appearance of a 

 "breaking team" in operation. If you ask me if this is 

 necessary, I can only tell you that I suppose it is, for it is 

 fashionable. 



I do believe though, that a smaller plough and less 

 team would be better for the land, though it is said it 

 would be more expensive ploughing. It is true that the 

 sod is more tough than can be believed by those who have 

 never ploughed it. It requires the plough to be kept very 

 sharp, and for this purpose the ploughman is always 

 provided with a large file with which he keeps a keen 

 edge as possible upon the share and coulter. 



Such a team ploughs from one to two acres a day, 

 usually about four inches deep, which is not near down 

 to the bottom of the roots, so that the sod turned up 

 affords but a scanty covering for grain that is sowed 

 upon it at first, yet very fine crops of wheat are raised 

 in this way. It is also a common practice to break up 

 in the spring and drop corn in every second or third 

 furrow, and from which twenty or thirty bushels to the 

 acre are often gathered, nothing having ever been done 

 to it after planting. It takes two or three years for 



