72 INSTRUMENTS OF HUSBANDRY; 



ditional horse, or pair of oxen, to pull them along. In 

 Scotland, therefore, the swing-plough is almost universally 

 adopted, and rarely more than two horses are now made 

 use of. The horses also are yoked a-breast, by which the 

 advantage of their full strength can best be obtained, ani- 

 mal power being most advantageously exerted, when em- 

 ployed separately, and close to the work. Indeed, when 

 horses are yoked one before the other, or harnessed at 

 length, it is hardly possible that they can pull equally. The 

 power of the fore horses must be exerted, to reduce the tra- 

 ces to a straight line, which cannot be done without press- 

 ing on the back of the hindmost horse, where the angle is 

 formed, and consequently greatly distressing him : hence 

 the superiority of ploughs drawn by two horses a-breast, 

 and of single-horse carts. In regard to the operation of 

 ploughing, also, it is to be observed, that less time is lost in 

 turning, more especially in small fields, insomuch, that with 

 equal ease, two horses a-breast will do at least one-tenth 

 more work, than the same horses will perform when placed 

 in a line. 



The plough generally used in Scotland, is known under 

 the name of Small's plough. But in some of the western 

 counties, as in Ayrshire, Renfrewshire, and Clydesdale, a 

 plough made by Mr Wilkic of Uddington is very common, 

 and much approved of.* The same artist has lately intro- 

 duced an iron plough.-]- In the neighbourhood of Jedburgh, 

 Veitch's construction is justly celebrated, though the sour- 

 ces whence its merits are derived are disputed. But as 

 James Small is the artist to whom hitherto Scotland has 

 been most indebted, I propose, in the Appendix, to ex- 



* See Alton's Report of Ayrshire, p. 214. 

 f Ditto, Addenda, p. 723. 



