Chap. XI. O F M E A D O W. 377 



opinion, one acre thus cuhivated, will produce as much grafs as 

 ten in the common way. 



Another ufe which he makes of the three coulter'd plough is, to 

 break up grafs lands intended to be converted into arable. The 

 coulters enter five or fix inches deep into the ground, and cut the 

 turf into parallel^ flips of about three inches breadth. Two horfes 

 will draw this plough with eafe, even though it fliould have five 

 coulters inflead of three, as it may, for the fake of greater expedi- 

 tion. 



a-j:When the whole furface is thus cut in flips, all in the fame di- 

 redlion, M. de Chateau-vieux plows the field crofs-ways with a 

 common plough, taking only about the breadth of fix inches at each 

 turn of the plough ; by which means thofe flips of grafs are broken 

 into pieces, the largefl: of which are not above fix inches long and 

 three inches wide. 



Thefe plowings fhould be performed before winter and in the 

 fpring. The lumps of turf, expofed on all fides to the penetrating 

 froflis of winter, are either quite moulder'd down, or rendered fo 

 friable thereby, that the field may be plowed afterwards with as 

 mueh eafe as if it had been tilled for feveral years. 

 . M. de Chateau-vieux's defcription of this plough, is as foU 

 lows. 



The three coulter'd plough, Plate I. Fig. 3. confifls of a beam 

 A, B, two handles C, D, fupported by the piece E. The two 

 pieces of wood jF, F, are fafl;ened firmly to the beam by two ftrong 

 iron pins G, G, on the other end of which a nut is fcrewed as tight 

 as poiTible. Thefe two fide pieces, as well as the beam, are pierced 

 with as many mortifes H, H, H, as it is intended to ufe coulters. 

 The coulters ihould fit the mortifes as exadlly as can be : and they 

 fhould be placed at fuch difl:ance from each other, that their points 

 may form parallel lines three inches afunder, in order to cut th^ 

 turf into flips of that breadth, as at /, /, /. 



I, 2, 3, are three coulters exadlly alike, of which the blade My.J^ 

 ftiould be made of tough well hammer'd fi:eel. Only three coulters 

 are reprefented in this figure, in order to render it lefs confufed : but 

 if it is thought proper to ufe five coulters, by which means the work 

 will be greatly expedited, two additional ones may eafily be added, 

 by making the pieces F, F, larger in proportion. 



The beam is pierced with the two mortifes K, K, in order to 



C c c faften 



