FARM IMPLEMEN'TS. 71 



to any one who would buy and keep a ])low in repair lor the 

 purpose of going out to work in this way. 4'he old wooden 

 plow then in use was so massive and clumsy that it requirei] 

 a strong and well fed team to move it through the soil; a heavy, 

 muscular man to press it into the ground ; another to hold, jind 

 another to drive. Other implements were of a similar rude 

 description, and the various processes on the fai'in'wcrc conducted 

 iu a manner that was traditional, handed down from l\uher to 

 son, each one adhering to his prejudices in the strongest 

 manner. Besides the plow there was the ruae iind heavy 

 spade, the clumsy wooden fork, and now and then a harrow. 



As the plows in use were made chiefly at the bhicksiuitli's 

 shop, without patterns, they assumed an almost infinite variety 

 of forms, scarcely any two being precisely alike. Still, now 

 and then a maker of a little more than ordinary skill would gain 

 a local reputation which, in some cases, spread bevoiid the 

 limits of his native village, and toso;ne extent over the country. 

 Kence we hear of the " Carey plow," in somewhat general 

 use, the particular form varying almost as much as the skill 

 and efficiency of each small manufacturer or blacksmith wliw 

 made it. This had a clumsy wrought iron share, a standard 

 made of wood, and a wooden mould board, often plated over in 

 a rough manner -with pieces of tin, sheet-iron, or pieces of old 

 saw plates. The handles were upright, and held in place l)y 

 two pins. A powerful man was required to hold it, and at 

 least double the strength of team now used to do the same or 

 better work. The " bar-side plow " and the " bull plow" were 

 other forms that gained some general reputation, while the 

 "shovel plow" was in use in the Southern States. In this, a 

 rough hewn stick served for a beam, with another stick framed 

 into it, upon the end of which a piece of iron, sliapod like a 

 sharp pointed shovel, was fastened. Two rcjugh handles were 



