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American Ploughs, 



Extract from (l Eva?is & Ruffy's Farmers' Journal,' 

 {London,) November 20, 1815. Trial of New Ploughs. 



" On Thursday, the 9th instant, some ploughs, on a 

 new construction, were tried at Bury Hill, near Dorking, 

 the seat of Robert Barclay, Esq. a member of the Board 

 of Agriculture, and a very zealous, liberal, and inde- 

 fatigable encourager and promoter of every thing that 

 tends to facilitate labour, to decrease expense, and to ad- 

 vance the interests of husbandry. Two of these ploughs 

 had been sent to him from America, by Judge Peters, 

 president of the Agricultural Society of Philadelphia. 



" The other new plough was that invented by Mr. 

 William Cooke, of Greenwich, and often advertised in 

 this paper. 



" Though the day was unfavourable, a number of the 

 neighbouring gentlemen, and many practical farmers at- 

 tended. The ploughs were tried in a wheat stubble, a 

 rather free loam, but very much encumbered with couch 

 and weeds ; in a wheat stubble of stiff ground, but un- 

 obstructed by weeds ; and in a light sandy soil : they 

 were alternately drawn by two horses each, and then by 

 four oxen ; the weight of draught was taken by the in- 

 strument invented for that purpose ; they were set at dif- 

 ferent depths ; and their powers of operation tried in eve- 

 ry way that was suggested. When the acknowledged 

 awkwardness with which every new implement is at first 

 handled, is considered, the facility and correctness that 



