14 BRITISH HUSBANDRY. [Ch. I- 



Tlie other half of the beam makes a regular rountl-turn, downward and 

 forward, to the muzzle." It will, however, be observed in Jig. 2, that 

 another form of the beam has also been adopted by Mr, F, " The coulter, 

 from above the cutting part, has a triangular piece of plate-iron welded on 

 its front, the edges of the two longest angles of which ai*e turned back till 

 they join both sides of it. It swells gradually till it reaches the beam, a 

 few inches of which it covers, and when the coulter is let down, prevents 

 a niche being opened between the two. The mortise for the coulter is often 

 chamfered a Utile to the furrow-side, to give the plough what is commonly 

 called a ' good cut ;' and it is brought pretty near the one receiving the 

 sheath, that the coulter may have a proper rake forward, without unduly 

 lengthening the head and share, or sole, which, for ordinary purposes, is 

 about 33 inches." 



"The front edge of the different mould-hoards makes a circular sweep, 

 from the share to that part of the beam which receives the coulter.",. 



" The share, in place of having a hose, or sheath, for receiving the head, 

 has itself a tang, or maundrel, that goes into the head; which again is 

 entirely covered by a cast-metal sole, or shoe. It is made about 12 inches 

 long for a free-working earthy soil, from its point to the point of the mould- 

 board, with a straight-edged feather, or fin, going off at an angle of 30 

 degrees. As the land approaches to moss, the feather is made longer and 

 more acute ; and for clean fibrous moss it is made 30 or 34 inches long, at 

 an angle conforming to the spread of the mould-board — of 20 degrees with 

 the land-side, and fitted with a moveable pin, standing vertically, for cutting 

 out the two first furrow-slices of every ridge." 



" There are other particulars — such as an expeditious mode of shifting the 

 draught in the index of the muzzle ; a share for stony land ; the sizes and 

 sets of the different mould-boards, &c., which need not be here enumerated ; 

 but its cleaning qualities may be said to consist chiefly in its freedom from 

 choking. It is well known that the cleansing of the plough from vegetable 

 matter, with which it becomes entangled, frequently occasions great loss of 

 time to the ploughman, and has been one great bar to the cultivation of 

 heath-land ; and even on ground otherwise clean, but having a rough 

 stubble, or foggage, or upon which long dung or sea-ware has been laid, it 

 often happens that half the day is spent in stoppages to clear the plough, 

 while the draught is greatly increased, and the work badly executed. Now, 

 from the curve formed by the beam and coulter, there is no resting-place 

 for vegetable matter getting jammed between ihera ; and, from the inclined 

 ])osition of the latter, it must be obvious that any matter which it does not 

 sever in going forward, will glide 'more readily upon its edge, and keep a 

 better hold of the ground, than when standing nearly vertical. The curve 

 in the front edge of the mould-board produces similar effects ; and, in con- 

 sequence of the upper half being longer, and forming a more acute angle 

 than any other of the same length and angle, below, earth does not accu- 

 mulate on it, as on the bosom of every mould-board that has a sudden turn, 

 or lies flat over the upper part of the sheath, when working any pulverized 

 soil in a medium degree of moisture." We have extracted this descri])tion 

 from the copious account of its properties furnished by Mr. F., whose 

 tracts upon that and other agricultural subjects are well worthy of perusal ; 

 but not having had an ojjponunity of personally witnessing its powers, we 

 can only recommend it to trial, without further vouching for its merits*. 



* The testimonials in its favour may be found in the Aiipcmlix to his ' British 

 Farmer, or Ploughman's Guide.' 



