322 THE YOUNG FARMER'S MANUAL. 



common country plows is, there is not a sufficient dip of the point 

 below the sole of the plow, or the bottom of the landside. (See 

 Par. 449.) Another defect is, a little short stub of a mole-board. 

 Another is, the wing of the share is too narrow, and rises very 

 abruptly from the entering edge. Another very great fault or 

 imperfection is, a very short, low standard, having an acute edge, 

 and connected with the beam at an acute angle, by which every 

 sod and straw is sure to ciog it. Another defect is, the point of 

 the share is not half as far forward of the throat of the plow as it 

 should be. The throat of a plow is the space beneath the beam, 

 just forward of the junction of the standard and the beam. 

 Another defect in the manufacture of common plows is, the han 

 dles do not extend far enough behind the plow, but stand so 

 straight up and down that the plowman too often stubs his toes 

 against the plow ; and he cannot handle it, because it is too near 

 his feet. Another defect is, the handles are too high ; and the 

 left handle stands too much behind the plow. 



WHICH IS THE BEST PLOW? 



446. Many farmers are often puzzled, and are in great doubt 

 to know which is the best plow for them to purchase. A joiner 

 might with the same propriety ask, "What plane shall I purchase, 

 as the best for every kind of planing. For plowing some kinds 

 of soils a certain kind of plows will operate in the most satisfac 

 tory manner, while on a different soil those very plows will not ope 

 rate with any degree of satisfaction. Many plows will work well in 

 plowing stubble ground, and in cross-plowing, which would be 

 almost worthless for plowing sod ground. One farmer will laud 

 a certain kind of plows, and pronounce them the very best for 

 plowing sod ; while his neighbor, just on the other side of the 

 fence, and in the same kind of soil, with the same kind of plows, 

 does his work intolerably bad. The first one mentioned plows 

 just deep enough for the plow to operate as well as possible ; 

 while his neighbor, having adjusted his plow to run a little too 

 deep for the shape of the mold-board to turn the furrow-slice 

 well, is entirely unable to plow in a workmanlike manner. Hun- 



