Trial of new P Houghs \ 161 



the men showed in managing these ploughs, was a con- 

 vincing proof of their simplicity : in fact, there is nothing 

 complex about them, and there is one other essential 

 quality, common both to the American ploughs, and to 

 Mr. Cooke's, they move every particle of the soil, clear 

 olit the furrow, and leave the bottom perfectly level. 

 The whole of the ploughing was witnessed by those pre- 

 sent with feelings of pleasure and satisfaction, and the re- 

 sult of their opinion was, that one especially, of the Ame- 

 rican ploughs was, for free and mellow soils, a most va- 

 luable implement, of easy draught and effective operation, 

 equal to any, and superior to many in present use ; but 

 that in foul grounds, it could not fully clear itself, 

 and was not sufficiently powerful for very heavy soils. 

 — That Mr. Cooke's plough, was at least equal to it 

 in operation, in soils where the American plough per- 

 formed well, and was superior to it, or perhaps to any 

 other, in very heavy and very foul grounds, where it bu- 

 ries the surface completely, and leaves a most perfect 

 seam. It is an implement of very uncommon merit ; 

 and the peculiar quality of it seems to be its fitness for 

 any soil, from the lightest to the heaviest. A gentleman 

 present, said he had tried it on his farm, in Middlesex, 

 and particularly on a head-land, which had been much 

 carted on, and where his own heavy plough, with four 

 horses, could make no impression, while Mr. Cooke's, 

 with three horses, turned it up completely ; but many 

 farmers present doubted its powers where stones are em- 

 bedded in the soil. This remains to be tried, and Mr. 

 Cooke is ready and anxious for the trial." 



2F 



