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EUROPEAN AGRICULTURE. 



7. DRAINING BY THE MOLE PLOUGH. Another mode of cut 

 ting a drain is by what is called a mole plough. This plough 

 consists of a straight and strong beam, to which two handles are 

 attached, and a single piece of iron or straight colter, passing 

 through the centre of the beam, and capable of being graduated, 

 like a common colter, by means of wedges, to such a depth as 

 it is desired to go. To the foot of this iron is attached a piece 

 of iron, round like a gun-barrel, or round at top and flat at bot 

 tom, of the diameter of which it is intended to make the water 

 course, and pointed at the end. 



After being once placed at the proper depth, this is forced 

 through the land by a strong team ; but a better way is to 

 force it on by a movable windlass, which is made to revolve by 

 a horse attached to the lever. The chain being thus wound up, 

 the plough is forced through the ground a short distance, and 

 then the windlass is moved forward, and another purchase is 

 taken. I met with this machine only on one farm ; but I could 

 easily infer that the difficulties attending its use were not small. 

 It could only answer upon clayey land. Upon stony ground it 

 would meet with insuperable obstructions ; upon gravelly or 

 sandy soils, the drain would often be filled up as soon as the 

 instrument had passed. Upon clayey and adhesive soils its 

 effect would be more permanent ; and the space made by the 

 narrow colter, or iron bar, to which the mole itself is attached, 

 being narrow, would soon close. I cannot say much in commen 

 dation of this mode of draining : but it seems to be one of those 

 make-shifts to which people often resort with a view to saving 

 expense, and which yet fails to accomplish its object ; while a 

 more thorough and effectual mode, adopted at first, would have 

 proved in the end as little expensive. 



