24 ON PLOUGHING. 



ON PLOUGHING WITH SINGLE TEAMS, 

 The Committee on Ploughing with Single Teams, Report: 



That there were six entries, five of which appeared as competitors 

 for the premiums, viz : 



Moses Pettingill, of Topsfield. 



Jacob P. Goodale, of Danvers. 



Nathaniel Felton, of " 



Joseph C. Putnam, of " 



Farnham Spofford, of Andover. 

 Quantity of land ploughed by each team, about one-sixth of an 

 acre. 



Messrs. Pettingill, Putnam and Goodale finished their work in 

 from 39 to 40 minutes, Mr. Spofford in 51 minutes, and Mr. Felton 

 in 69 minutes. 



The ploughs used were all from the establishment of Ruggles, 

 Nourse & Mason ; and all, with one exception, did the manufacturers 

 great credit, by showing the perfection with which their ploughs can 

 be made to turn the sward. The plough to which the exception is 

 made was for the Avant of having it properly adjusted in running to 

 land, by the ploughman, rather than for any defect in its structure. 

 One of the ploughs used had an iron beam. This beam was cast 

 more sweeping than the wooden beams, and left more depth under 

 the beam by the coulter, being therefore less liable to clog. The 

 Committee had not time to examine this plough sufficiently, as to its 

 weight, its cost and its strength, to enable them to decide with any 

 certainty whether this alteration is an improvement, neither do they 

 wish to intimate that it is not an improvement.* They witnessed 

 an alteration in the iron fastening on the end of the beam, called by 

 the maker a dial-clevis, which they consider an improvement, as 

 the plough, by this fixture, can be turned to and from the land in 

 smaller proportions than by any method heretofore in use. 



The ploughing field was a sandy loam. One end of some of the 

 lands was very uneven ; the land was exceedingly dry, and could not 

 be laid so smooth as if it had been lately moistened ; but under all 

 the circumstances, the work was performed admirably. The teams 

 with one exception, went straight and spry, with very little forcing. 



* We expected an interview with the manufacturers and to have examined this plough 

 fully, but other appointmentB prevented it. 



