12 SKETCHES OF RURAL AFFAIRS. 



altering shape, both which are more correspondent to 

 my liking than any other, and are fitte in generall for 

 most places, especially if the plough-beame and share- 

 beame were foure inches longer, between the sheath and 

 the plough-tayle, that the shelboard might run more a 

 flote : for those ploughes give out too suddainly, and 

 therefore they be the worse to draw, and for no cause els. 



" In Cambridge-shiere, Huntinton-shiere, Bedford- 

 shiere, and for the most part of Northampton-shiere, 

 their ploughes have but one hale. In Leistershiere, 

 Lankishiere, Yorkshiere, Lincolushiere, and Notingham- 

 shiere they have two ; for all other countries unnamed, 

 there is none of them but plow with some of these 

 ploughs before mentioned, neither will I stande too 

 strictly upon their fashion, sith there is no country but 

 custome or experience hath instructed them to make 

 choice of what is most availeable, and he that will live 

 in any country may by free charter learne of his neigh- 

 bors, and howsoever any plough be made or fashioned, 

 so it be well tempered, it may the better be suffered." 



This sensible old writer saw the advantages, which 

 have since become still more evident, of studying the 

 nature of the land, and adopting just that form of 

 plough which seemed to suit it best. But it was not 

 Fitzherbert, nor Tull, nor other early writers, that 

 suggested the form of plough which has since been 

 found so useful, and has been brought to so high a 

 degree of perfection. By some means or other an im- 

 proved Dutch plough was introduced into the north of 

 England, and became the model for our plough-makers. 

 A patent was obtained in the year 1730 for a plough 

 made at Rotherham, in Yorkshire, which was the most 

 perfect implement that had yet appeared, and is well 

 known to this day as the Rotherham plough. From 

 this time the progress of improvement was rapid. A 

 man in humble life had the honour of taking the first 

 step in that career of invention and advancement, which 

 from the time of the Rotherham plough to the present 



