Farm Machinery 445 



On American farms the average life of a grain-binder, a machine 

 costing about $125, is about five years. However, experience 

 has shown that with proper care a binder will give efficient serv- 

 ice for at least fifteen years. This same condition holds true 

 with most farm implements. 



A shed in which machinery can be stored should, like a shop, 

 be a part of the equipment of every farm. It is poor policy 

 to buy good machinery and convert it into worthless junk in 

 a few years, because of the lack of a storage place. 



222. Plows. The most important implement on the farm 

 is the plow, for by its use the soil is turned over and pulverized 

 and made ready for forming the proper bed in which the 



FIG. 194. Bottom view of a walking plow. 1, share ; 2, mold board ; 

 3, landside ; 4, frog ; 5, brace ; 6, beam ; 7, clevis ; 8, handle. 



seed is to be planted. The first plows were crooked sticks 

 that merely scratched the surface of the land. The next im- 

 provement was an implement that would turn the top soil 

 over and expose it to the weather. This was followed by the 

 modern plow that not only turns over the furrow-slice, but in 

 the operation causes a shearing motion between the soil par- 

 ticles which aids in pulverizing the soil. This shearing action 

 does much to improve the structure of the soil. The chief 

 kinds of plows are walking plows, sulky plows, gang plows, 

 disc plows, and subsoil plows. 



Walking plows. The so-called walking plows are usually 

 drawn by one or two horses. They can be obtained in a 

 number of different types, depending on the purpose for which 



