m>i 



PLOUGH. 



the most neuter furrows (or the reception of the seed, which the 

 harrow oui than most readily bury. 



The Mirfef* of thu turn-furrow in curred in the form of the spiral 

 thmul of screw, such u would be generated by a line (H i> in the 

 following figure) about 9 or 10 inches long, ana either straight or 

 lightly curved, moved uniformly forward in a direction at right angle* 

 to lU length, while it revolved uniformly round one of iU exti> 

 for 3 or 4 feet, commencing with the horizontal position, and terminating 

 in an angle about 45* beyond the vertical. The curve than generated 

 will be found to turn over soils of a moderate tenacity very perfectly. 

 If it it very light, the surface may be formed by arc* of circles with a 

 considerable diameter, the concave part upwards ; if it is very tenacious, 

 the convex part of the arches may be upward*. The annexed figures 

 (8, r, 8, 9) will explain thu. The distance of the perpendicular 

 r a from the fin of the share may also be varied, either lengthening or 

 shortening the turn-furrow, u experience may show to be most 

 advantageous. 



llorii'jntal Plan of the Plough. 

 Fig. 6. 



A , the Sole ; c, the Flo ; D c, the bottom of the Turn-Furrow ; s c and B o being 

 lac revolving line tnrmtag the disunre r i>, and shown In Its various 

 potitlou by the iruuTene Him . 



Section* of the three different turn-furroat at different 

 distance* from the heel. 



Fig. :. 



Fig. 8. 



A plough was constructed on this principle by Messrs. Ransome, of 

 Ipswich, at the suggestion of the writer of this article (the late Rev. 

 W. Rham), and exhibited at the meeting of the Royal Agricultural 

 Society of England, held at Cambridge, July 15, 1840. In soils of a 

 loose mellow nature it answered completely, and did the work more 

 perfectly than any other plough. It united the parallelism of the sole 

 and bottom of the turn-furrow of the Flemish plough with the im- 

 proved shape of the turn-furrow. By adopting the variations in the 

 shape of the turn-furrow which we have suggested, this plough may be 

 adapted to any soil, and be used with or without wheels. 



Ploughs were formerly made of wood having those parts covered 

 with iron where the greatest friction takes place, the share and coulter 

 only being of iron; but in consequence of the greater facility of 

 casting iron in modern times, it U now "made wholly of this metal. 

 The advantages of iron are, iU durability, and the smaller friction it 

 occasions when once polished by use. The inconveniences are, the 

 additional weight of the instrument, and consequent greater friction 

 of the sole, which experiments have proved to be greater than wax 

 generally suspected. A great improvement has been introduced by 

 making the points of the shares of cast-iron, which, by a mode of casting 

 the lower surface on a plate of metal, makes one surface much harder 

 than the other ; and as the softer surface wears more rapidly, a sharp 

 edge is always preserved. 



The different parts of a plough are now usually cast, ao that if any 

 one fails or wean <iut, it can be instantly replaced by moving a few 

 screws or bolts. This U a very great saving of time and expense ; for 

 before this, every time an accident happened to any part of the plough, 

 it took a long time to repair it, and in the meantime the lal- 

 suspended, often at a very critical time of the year. There is another 

 advantage in having the essential parts of cast-iron. If any particular 

 shape has been once discovered to be the best for any part, that shape 

 is preserved without deviation in every plough made on the same 

 pattern, and with respect to the turn-furrow this is of the greatest 

 importance. 



w"here the soil U light and crumbling, without stones, as in Norfolk, 

 a single handle or itilt is sufficient ; but where some force is occasion- 







ally required to prevent stones or other obstacles from tur 

 plough out of its course, two stilts are most convenient, pli 

 more obtuse angle with the sole of the plough. 



The force required to draw a plough depends not only on the nature 

 of the soil, but also on the shape of the plough, and especially on the 

 position of its different parts with respect to each other, so that they 

 do not counteract each other. 



If a plough were drawn in the direction of the sole, the obliquity of 

 the turn-furrow would cause it to turn towards one side, anil it would 

 require a considerable force to keep it straight. In order i- | 

 this, the line of draught is placed at an angle, which varies with that 

 of the turn-furrow and the force required to push the furr. 

 To adjust this angle, so as to cause the plough to keep in tin- im 

 line, there is a contrivance at the end of the beam to change thu 

 position of the ring by which the plough is drawn to the right 01 

 of the line of the beam, and another by which it may be raised or 

 lowered. By this device the plough may be drawn from a point on 

 either side of the beam, and higher or lower as may bo required. 

 When the plough is found to lake loo much land, as ploughmen say, 

 that is, tends to increase the width of the slice cut off by the coulter, 

 the bridle is shifted to the K-ft by moving the pin into another h.ile : 

 when it goes out of thr /<in<i,as it U called, that is, diminishes the width 

 of the furrow-slice, the pin is moved a hole or two to the right, until 

 the plough has no tendency to deviate to either side. If it inclines to 

 rise out of the ground, tin-' ring is shifted in the iron bridle and placed 

 in a hook or i n the contrary, it dips 1 



ring is hooked lower. Tims a plough may be made to go strain I 

 at a regular depth, without any more force being applied to th. 

 than is required to counteract inequalities in the land, or accidental 

 obstacles, Buch as stones or roote, which might throw the plough out 

 of the grouiv -il is of unequal texture, it is useful to 



I. . . ,-cted with the fore part of the beam, so as to 



prevent its dipping downwards, which would require a great pressure 

 on the Btilta to keep the point of the share up, and thus increase the 

 1 1 of the sole on the ground, and consequently the labour of the 

 horses. In other cases, ploughs are provided with two win . 

 nected with the beam, one of which runs in the furrow to the right, 

 and the other on the unploughed soil to the left. When the plough 

 has been well adjusted, and the larger wheel runs in the angle of the 

 furrow, it acts as a gauge to regulate the width of the slice as well as 

 its depth : in very uniform soils without stones, the plough, wh. 

 in the proper direction, will make a very straight ami even furrow 

 parallel to the one in which the wheel runs, without any p. 

 the stilts ; BO that all that is required U to turn the plough at the end 

 of each furrow, and set it in to the proper line to form the next. 

 As this admits of very correct adjustment, no unnecessary force is 

 required to draw the plough : and hence this plough appears to be the 

 easiest for the horses; and if the wheels are not very heavy, and the 

 plough is of a good form, it certainly requires less power to move it 

 than many which arc without wheels ; and it is far superior to the old 

 clumsy wheel-plough, the beam of which rests on a heavy carriage, 

 with. .ut I -.ing firmly attached to it. This, instead of lessening the 

 draught, increases it by all the pressure of the beam upon tin- carriage, 

 besides the weight of this last and of the wheels. There are some very 

 irregular and stony soils, where a common swing plough can scarcely 

 be kept steady without the help of wheels, and where it would not be 

 so convenient to have the beam fixed on the wheels. In this case a 

 separate carriage is necessary, that the ploughman may have a fulcrum 

 on which he can raise his plough, or turn it to either side to avoid any 

 considerable stone or other obstacle. Wheels have this advantage: 

 they will enable an inferior ploughman to make better work tl,. 

 could possibly do without them ; and that too with less labour i 

 horses; because, from his want of skill, the swing-plough would be 

 continually subject to sudden deviations, requiring him to use his 

 strength to counteract them; and each exertion of the ploughman 

 adds to the labour of the horses. 



Without entering into any comparison of ploughs differently con- 

 structed, it i* evident that the shape of the plough must vary with U> 

 nature of the soil which it is to turn up. A light soil must be shovelled 

 up ; a mellow one may be turned over with any kind of mould-board ; 

 a very stiff tenacious soil which adheres to any surface pressed against 

 it, will be more easily turned over by a few points of contact which do 

 not allow of adhesion. lU-nce the point and turn-furrow have been 

 made of all imaginable shapes, and while one man contends for a very 

 concave form, another will admit of nothing which is not -, 

 That plough will no doubt have the least draught which is best suited 

 to the soil which it has to move. The lighter the plough i 

 sistently with sufficient strength, the less draught it requires, all other 

 circumstances remaining the same. Lightness and strength combined 

 are consequently great advantages, and if a very light plough d 

 work as well as a heavier, there can be no doubt that it is preferable. 

 I Mirahility is nothing compared with the saving of one hoi 

 it is chna|>er to have a new plough every year than 

 ad, lit ion. d horse all the year. If a wooden plough is found to 1" 



moved than an iron one, there can be no doubt which should lie 

 preferred. 



The Flemish plough is made of wood, and is very light ; the share 

 and coulter only are of iron, besides a thin sheet of iron over the mould- 



