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in America. He received his first patent 17th of June, 1797. 

 Although great improvements had been made upon the old 

 wooden ploughs, so great were the prejudices against them, 

 that many people believed that cast iron poisoned the ground 

 and retarded the growth of crops ; and after the inventor had 

 expended $30,000 to get his plough into general use, he was 

 obliged to give up his business and leave the American farmers 

 to use their old wooden ploughs. The most ancient plough we 

 have any record of, was a crooked stick, somewhat improved 

 afterwards by being sharpened with iron. The Hindoo and 

 even some in this country use a plough but little in advance at 

 the present day. The Chinese use a similar plough at the 

 present time, and in continental Europe, France, and some 

 other countries, no better ploughs are used at the present day. 

 Very little progress or improvements were made in the manu- 

 facture of the plough until within the present century. 



Good ploughing is the first requisite to the growth of good 

 crops. " Deep ploughing saves manuring." One of the 

 greatest errors of the New England farmers is shallow plough- 

 ing. We hope in future no premium will be offered for 

 ploughing six inches in depth, but that it may be changed to 

 not less than seven inches. 



Committee — A. B. Fellows, Levi Emery, M. H. Poor. 



PLOUGHING— SWIVEL PLOUGH. 



The Committee on Ploughing with Swivel Plough have 

 attended to the duty assigned them. There were but two 

 competitors, T. G. Ordway, West Newbury, and Wm. Foster, 

 North Andover. 



We respectfully award the first premium to William Foster, 

 $12 and diploma, for his Holbrook plough. 



Unfortunately, T. G. Ordway had a new plough from Ames 

 Plough Co. ; not working very well, he withdrew from the 

 field. 



