SLOW IMPROVEMENT OF THE PLOUGH. 11 



harrowing, drawing, and working with horses, mares, 

 geldings, garraus, and coltes by the taile, whereby, (be- 

 sides the cruelty used to the beasts,) the breed of horses 

 is much impaired in this kingdome." This practice, 

 and also that of pulling off the wool yearly from living 

 sheep, instead of " clipping or shearing of them," were 

 condemned as illegal, and punished with fine and im- 

 prisonment. 



The cultivation of the land in this countiy was much 

 improved after the arrival of the Eomans. They taxed 

 every part of the country as it fell into their power 

 to supply them with a certain quantity of corn : and 

 this, instead of being a hardship to the inhabitants, was 

 really a great benefit. They were obliged to exert them- 

 selves to plough and sow more diligently than hereto- 

 fore, and in doing this, they soon found that their fertile 

 soil would produce enough to supply not only their 

 own wants, together with the amount demanded by their 

 conquerors, but also a large surplus for exportation. 



But the improvement of the plough itself went on 

 very slowly. For ages, this invaluable implement was 

 more like a clumsy rake for scratching the surface, than 

 a plough for turning over the soil. Yet in the time of 

 Fitzherbert (1532) several varieties of ploughs were in 

 use in different parts of England. He says, " One 

 plough will not serve in all places, therefore it is neces- 

 sary to have divers sorts. In Somerset-shiere, Dawset- 

 shiere, and Gloster-shiere, the share-beame, that in 

 many places is called the plow-head, is foure or five 

 foote long, made very broade and thinne, and that is 

 because the land is very tough, and would sucke the 

 plough into the earth, if the share-beame were not 

 long, broade, and thin. In Kent they alter much in 

 fashion, for there they goe uppon wheeles, as they doe 

 in some part of Hartfordshire, Sussex, and Cornewall. 

 In some countries they will turne the shelboord at every 

 landsend, and plowe all one way. In Buckingham- 

 shiere, are ploughs of another fashion, and plow-yrous of 



