2t)0 



readily available. Tillage can be performed to perfection with the 

 spade and the fork, but, of course, these rudimentary implements 

 cannot be used where large areas have to be cultivated. It must not 

 be forgotten that the two chief objects of tillage are to aerate the 

 soil and diffuse the plant food that it may contain as much as 

 possible. The implement that will do this next best to the spade 

 is undoubtedly the digging-breasted plough. The first illustration 

 represents a single furrow, long mould-board plough, as commonly 

 used in the colonies. The second illustration shows a digging- 

 breasted plough of the type most used in the United States, and 

 now rapidly coming into use in Australia. 



A glance at the two illustrations will suffice to show that each 

 of these ploughs must turn a very different furrow. The long mould- 

 board turns an unbroken rectangular slice and leaves the ground in 

 a series of parallel well-defined ridges. The digging plough com- 

 pletely pulverises the soil, turning it right over, and leaves the 

 ground, especially if it is light soil, with a comparatively even sur- 

 face. Every particle of soil is turned by this plough, while the long 

 mould-board plough partially turns the furrow slice bodily. The 

 accompanying woodcut will explain the difference. 



As regards the method of ploughing, English agriculturists, as 

 a general rule, maintain that ploughing should be done on such a 

 system as to turn over the furrow slice with a uniform surface and 

 with a mass of soil unbroken and compressed. If, however, the best 

 condition in which to leave the soil is that in which atmospheric 

 influences will be best able to act upon it, then the continuous 

 packed slice of the long mould-board cannot obviously be superior to 

 the disintegrated mass of stuff thrown from the short breast of the 

 digger. The digging plough has another advantage, it will do as 

 much work again in ;i day as a long mould-board plough, and with 

 less fatigue to both horses and men. It will stand any amount of 

 rough work, and is as well adapted to breaking up new land as any 

 iron plough. Its lightness is its great strength. The plough shown 

 above is known as the " Oliver Chilled, No. 40," and costs about \ 

 complete. It may be used with two or three horses. It will turn a 

 turn a furrow 9 inches deep and 16 inches in width, and only weighs 

 130 Ibs. as against 175 Ibs. of the wrought iron colonial plough cutting a 

 furrow 6 inches deep and only 9 ineho in width. 



I have used this style of digging plough in all classes of soils for 

 some years and have not been able to find fault with it yet. I have 

 broken up stiff, imperfectly cleared land, full of roots, and never had 

 a mishap, and ploughed up to twelve inches in depth with two 

 horses in loam. The other illustrations show two makes of double fur- 



