586 



F A [i M J*: R S ' REGIS T E K , 



[No. 10 



desifrned purpose, within tho last Iwenty j'earg, 

 tiian have hcen made in Great, Britain Ibr a cen- 

 tury. From a conviction of the iiulispensable ne- 

 cessity ol" good plou^hinf; to a successilil tillage. 

 near tvveniy years aijo I persuaded the person 

 who occupied tlie farm I now own, to send to Eni^- 

 land for an improveil Scotch plough, (I think 

 Small's,) which was Iiighly reconuuended i,n the 

 agricultural publications of that lime. This was 

 before the introduction of the cast iron plough into 

 this part of the country. The plough came, and 

 I must confess I was greatly astonished at the first 

 eight of it, and as much disappointed when I wit- 

 nessed its operation. A huge, misshapen com- 

 bination of wood and iron, it was the laughing- 

 etock of my neighbors, who at once denounced 

 me as a "book firmer." The plough was laid 

 aside, and hfis been kept for show, and in con- 

 struction and workmanship, when compared with 

 American ploughs, furnishes a striking illustration 

 of the superior skill and ingenuity of our own 

 mechanics, over those of Europe. I can now do 

 twice as much work, and do it infinitely better, 

 with Prouty & JNlears' improved plough, with one 

 horse, and a single hand, than a yoke of oxen and 

 a horse, and one additional hand to drive, could do 

 with the famous Scotch plough. 



Public attention was first awakened to the sub- 

 ject of improvements upon the old-fiishioned, 

 wedge-like plouizh, by ilie writings of Mr. Jeffer- 

 son, who, in 1789, published his new theory of the 

 construction of the mould-board, lormed upon ma- 

 thematical and philosophical principles. It was 

 in consequence of a suggestion from him, that 

 Robert Smith, of PennsyFvania, in 1803, substitu- 

 ted the cast iron for the wooden mould-board, lor 

 which he obtained a patent. This was the com- 

 raencement of a series of improvements which 

 have resulted in the substituiion of cast iron lor all 

 parts of the plough, except the beam and the han- 

 dles; and such has been the progress in reducing 

 this implement lo a fitness lor the purposes de- 

 signed, that the American cast iron plough, as 

 now constructed, may in truth be considered, as 

 it has been denominaled, the most important in- 

 strument known to man. About fifteen years 

 since the cast iron share came into general use in 

 this part of the. country. Wood's, Tyce's, Hitch- 

 cock's, Howard's and last of all Prouty and 

 Mears', have each had their share of public favor. 

 1 have particularly attended to the operation of all 

 these, anil noticed the defects and excellencies of 

 each. About twelve years ago, Hitchcock's 

 plough, then in general use. and hiirhly approved 

 by the liirmers oi'New York, was introduced into 

 this stale by JMr. Prouty, who was well acquain- 

 ted with the practical use, as well as the construc- 

 tion, of the ploui^h. His science in agriculture 

 aided by his mechanical skill, Irotn time, to times 

 suggested to him various and important alterations 

 and improvements in this plough, and about two 

 years since, Prouty and Mears obtained li'om the 

 government a patent lor their '-improved cast iron 

 plough." 



The prevailing difiiculty with all ploughs, with 

 the exception of the last .lamed, is, that the Ibrce 

 necessary in the drauffht, is not applied direc;ly to 

 the centre oi resistance. Writers on this subject, 

 as well as practical farmers, have erred in their 

 notion, that the beam should be placed directly 

 over the land-side of the plough, and thai the cut 



of the eoulter, or the position of the standard, 

 should be square, or at a right angle with the cut 

 of the share, thinking that if the share and coulter 

 n)ake an acute angh on the laud side, tho plough 

 will incline to liill to the right. This would be the 

 tendency, unless the other parts of the plough are 

 so constructed as to resist and overcome this in- 

 clination. By so placing the coulter as to form an 

 acute angle with the plane of the share, on the 

 land side, the beam is brought more directly over 

 the centre of the plough, as is the case with Prouty 

 and jMears' improved plough, and thereby tlie 

 power necessary to move it, is applied more direct- 

 ly to the centre of resistance, and the force required 

 to move it. and overcome this resistance, is of 

 course less than when a()p!ied on one side. I can- 

 not better make my self understooJ, than by sup- 

 posing the land, or left-hand sitle of a harrow, to 

 be kept on a straight line with ihe line of draught. 

 It will readily be preceived that the force necessary 

 to draw it, when so placed, will be greater than if 

 drawn in the usual way, by applying the draught 

 to the centre. This is decidedly one of the most 

 valuable improvements in the construction of the 

 plough, that has been made in modern times, and 

 lor which the public are indebted to the ingenuity 

 and skill of Messrs. Prouty and Mears. A greater 

 ease of draught is not the only advantage resulting 

 from this improvement. Another and perhaps 

 greater benefit is its perfect adaptation to the end de- 

 signed, by leaving the ground in the best possible 

 condition. The acute angle, which is made in 

 the land side of the furrow slice, by the peculiar 

 construction of this plough, enables the ploughman 

 lo lay the furrows together, like feather-edged 

 boards. This, in greensward, is very desirable, 

 as the grass is thereby prevented Irom springing 

 up between the furrow slices much more eHectu- 

 aily, than when the furrows are cut at right angles. 

 The grass is completely shut in, and will not rise 

 to injure the crop, or increase the labor of cultiva- 

 tion. Not only in green sward, but in old ground, 

 the superior manner in which the work is done by 

 this plough is very perceptible. There is no ten- 

 dency to crowd the ground into ridges; the soil is 

 taken up, as it were and turned over, and left loose, 

 and in the best state to derive vegetable aliment 

 from the air, and to enable the roots of plants to 

 penetrate, and strike down in search of food. 



Another advantage attending the peculiar con- 

 struction of JMessrs. Prouty and Mears' plough, is 

 its durability. When the resistance is all upon 

 one side of the beam, there must be a constant 

 tendency of the plough to the left, or land side; the 

 friction is thereby increased in this pari, and the 

 wear, of course, is greater: but when the beam is 

 placed more over the centre of the plough, and the 

 resistance which it has to encounter is upon both 

 sides of the beatn, its movement is more regular, 

 and the Iriciion equal in all parts. These are some 

 of the peculiar properties of this plough, which 

 give it a decided pre.'ierence to any other now in 

 use. On conferring with some of my neighbors, 

 relative to Ihe work of Prouty and Mears' plough, 

 it is believed, that in ploughintra field often acres, 

 ihe an)ount of labor saved, added to the amount 

 gained in consequence of the improved tilth, when 

 compared with Ihe wi;rk of any other plough, is 

 llilly equal to the price paid for it. E. P. 



Lexinglon, ( Mass,) March, 1838. 



