J-, ^^ Kj lu Ti. J.-S u r .n. rv J.VJ Ci n. 



KOV. 4, 1840. 



ANn HOIlTlCULTltKAL RiGISTER. 



Boston, VVednesdAv, Nov. 4, 1840. 



TRIM, OK PLOUCHS AT U'ORCKSTER. 



Oil TuHsH:)y, null iii-t., camp, on iit Wore, sier an 

 iliipnr;.inl (ri.i 111 |il"i]i;lis. I his was iipp.iirihd liytlie 

 Trii>tfes ol tliH MassiicliiisBlis Agikniiuial Sm ioiy, 

 Willi iitri-rid Uvo lihiriil |ii<'iiinmiis : '1. For llm bfs! 

 ploii^li llinl ivi I turn tlin sml ovit ihhI lny ii fl-ii, rpoaril 

 in liB had In ihi- sireii;;tli of ihr iiiciiioh, pasiness nfdnil'l, 

 pxci Hit <-i' III" ilu' work il |ierliiniis. and lis ihcapiiess, 

 $100— ■• 2 For the besi piiui:ih iliat shall lay tlm sod 

 on I'dire or ohiiiiui ly, :ind nm Hal, i piraid bejni; hud to 

 ihf qnalilii'S ahovp nipnMiniHd. ijj;75." 



'I ho ronipi'iiiion was opon lo ihp wlmle coiinlrv ; and 

 the award was lo he nindB hy a coniiniiti'o Corrned to 

 sccun-, as f ir as po-sihin an intidhgont and itnpariial 

 doiisiori. In ihis case thn oiiioiiiitei- consisted oCJolin 

 Wi'llcs, Benj. Gmhl and Hiwry Cudinan, Tni-tees, and 

 John I'nnrp. of Roxhiiry, of Ihe Massachiis. Us Aurn-ul 

 tuial Siicii'ly; Levi Ijincnin, President n( the Worces- 

 ter Agricolliiral Socieiy ; Benjamin MilU, a oele^ate 

 fmrn Ihe lieikshiie Ajrricuhnral Soeieiv ; William 

 Clarl , from Ihe jlarnpshire, Hampden and Franklin 

 Auncullnral Soeiely ; Isaac Alden, of Bridgewaier, from 

 th- I'lymoiiih AgTinilliiral Sooieiy ; Peier Thalcher 

 presdintoflhe Bri-lol A^'rienliural societ\ ; S. I{. Phelps' 

 nl Maillinro', from ihe iVInhllesix Ai.'nculiural Sorietv • 

 AHiTi Poinam ami N W. Hazeii, Ironi tlie ICssex Ao-iicul- 

 lural Soeieiy. 'I'lie Irial was had in an open and level 

 field, ahont a mile from the town of Worcester, upon a 

 giceii sward, a loamy soil, and i-omparalively free from 

 Btiin. well adapted for tin; experitnem. 



'fin' ennimiitee have made a loll report on the sub- 

 jeci, annnnncing iheir award, which we have already 

 laid before llie public; and which has been read vviih 

 geneial inieiest. We ^h dl go into some farther de- 

 tails on ihe BPihjei t, which we had prepared to submit 

 to our readers in an I'arlier paper; but we shall not in 

 leniioiially trespass upon ihe report or province of ihe 

 committee. 



The pioiiijhs entered Cur the compelilion were as sob- 

 joinoil ; some 'of them for the premium on lijingthe 

 furrow slice flat — some fnr layiMir i al an obli<iue aiii>le , 

 and some for bolh kinds of work. 



rioogh No. I was Irom John Wilson, Deerfleld, Mass. 

 ' 2 ' I'loun & Mears, liosloii, ' 



' ' 3 ' Wilkie's Scotch ploujrhjimpurt 



ed. 

 ' ' 4 ' Charles Moward, Hinjtliam, Ms. 



' ' 5 ' H"^L'les,Niiiirse& Mason, Wor. 



rester, Mass. 



' ' 6 • Bainah, A- iVIooers.llh.ica, i\. Y 



' ' 7 ' Coiiielms Itergeo, Brooklyn, ' 



' '8 ' EG Whiting, Roehesl. r, ' 



' ' 9 ' Henry Stevens, B.irnil, Vl, 



BllSflleS, N'omse A- Mas-Ill, Prn.ily it Mears, and C. 

 Hmv.ird, had several pioufjlis m tiieir mannfa.tnre in 

 the field, the varieties adapied to diUVreiit kinds of 

 wofk, anil mainlv dillciinir from each oiher in size and 

 the forms nf the mmiM-hoards. It would he di/Ji. iilt to 

 pmni out these diffirei.ces withotii a personal insoi c- 

 lion "f ihi- ini|dciiirnis. 



PI■u^hNn :i was an imported Scotcii ploiiul), made 

 by Wilkie and cniisiilereil an im()r.ivenient 011" rinmll's 

 celehrati d Scnii h plough. It was sent hy B I oor, Esq., 



fr Ins farm at Imlia., Hill, West Newburv, :\lass.' 



nod iiiana;;ed hy a fii-l rale pinuohman, Jaon s'.Sie wart. 

 Ills laniier at Indian I iill. Itwunld bec.ilhda swing 

 plnii;.!!, Ihoiigh it loid a wheel wiihio the mould hoaid 

 and land side, desifined to assist as a lulcrmn in raising 

 the pnnit lion. I'le irround, and in the Inriiiog.inJ o-,.ne- 

 ral m.niagemenl nf the impleineiii It is said ihal ihis 

 wheel liMs been fnnnd by ac. ur ile nie.isuremeni in Curt. 

 land, to diminish the diaiiglil m quired. It i-aii only do 

 this by .levaliiif the liindir part of the sole ot the 

 plough and Ci.iisi'((oei,tly lessening its frii'tion on the 

 le.lli.iii nf tlie tiiiro.v. Since wrilinij the above, we 

 have t'liind the lo I .wiiii; aecnunl of VVilkie's plon;;li in 

 nil Knglish piililn aiion : '■ -piij^ |||„|,j,|, „,.,j inveiiled 

 by the laie IM r WilKie in Id^."). We consider this a.s hy 



far till St perfeet imple'ln nl of llm plou;;li kiinl, Ih il 



has hilheito been prodiieed The wheel is plaeed so 

 os 10 im line IVnin ihe perpendienlar at an ani.'le ofahoui 

 3ll ili-iliees ; and lollowinj in the angle of [he furrow 

 cut iiy ihe eo il'n-r an. I share, it ensu.es a gre.uer deeiee 



of St. adiness III the moium of tlin plo gU ihaii win n roll- 

 ing nnly in the boi.cm ol llie liiriow.'^ 



.Vir Hovvard, we understand smne years since applied 

 a wheel in a similar way lo one of 'uU plnn«lis, bm it 

 was nol approved. We have not ihe particulars and 

 dn nni knnw whether it weie 1 I. iced piipendienhiily or 

 obliqnel/. For the purjiose 01 turning a plough so nitfi- 

 cull of managemenl as tins ;., any but an t.xperienced 

 lianil. It iiinsi be uselnl ; hui f.r anv other | uipnse, in 

 our view it- niiiily remains to be proved. We eaiinol 

 coin-eive Ihal It should siearly the plniiah. This plough 

 was eompnsed alinosi wholly of iron; and Ihe mould 

 board approached as nearly as possible 10 Ihe lorui of a 

 wedge. 



Plou;;li No 9 was likewise a plough uilh a mould 

 bnard f.nhiooed i.-i a de;;r. e alter the Scotch model. 

 The handles and beam ueieof vvooil. Tins is an ad- 

 niiiable ploiifih for lapping ihe lurn.w slice, and the 

 foiniol lis mould board lor that purpose excellent, Tl is 

 plonsrh was in llie ploughing nialch ihe next day, the 

 plonghman entering merely as an aimileur and not a 

 Cnlnpe'ilor, wllieh, as he was from a diderenl cnunly, 

 the rules 01 the Soeieiy (iirbade. The work perlormed 

 by il, will) an excellent ploughman al is heels, was not 

 siirpa..se.l on the field. 



I'l lUgii .No. (i, from Barnahy & Mooer-, of Iiha a, 

 N v., was a plough of singnl.ir conslriieiioii, ami dis- 

 playing; niiich inirenuiiy. It had two inoiil.i bouids.and 

 by tnuchiiig a sprinif vvilli the foot, each might be used 

 aiternaiely for a mould boaid or a land side, at the plea- 

 sure of the holder. By this atraiigemeni there is no 

 oceasiui for carrying the plough round al the end ol 

 the (urrow ; the calile in tiirning ly the help 0/ the 

 ploughman, will at once adjusi it. The c.ittle are 

 brimiihi imniedialely round, the horse or ox v alking 

 now in the furrow, that walked before on ihe land ; 

 and Ihc |ilougli coming back and turning the slice into 

 the last furiovv which had been made. By an easy ad- 

 jus ment Ihis |iloiiuh was susceptible of having bolh 

 mould b.-aids eqo.illy extended and Ihen lieiiig v^orked 

 us a double mould board plough. Thispinngli appealed 

 with its name, SuPEi..sEDKB, in capitals upon iis beam, 

 from its supposed adapiedness to take ihe pl.n e of ..thei 

 plnughs in doing various kinds of work. Tlis plough 

 n.is leeeived several hcmorary noiiies. The Iwo inould 

 boards Hid Ihe power of ch.inging them at the I'nd of 

 the furrow, is nol oiiginal ; hut the machinery bv vvliich 

 this IS done we have not .-een bef re. 



Plough No. 7, km.wn as Ihe Be gen plough, is cele- 

 bialed 111 the neighh irhood of New York ; and there has 

 the general pref renc.i. It is capable, with a good 

 ploughman, of doing admirable work, as we have seen 

 on another occasion. The wnrkm'iuslnp of llie pinugli 

 was very idumsv ; and it is atlord.d at a proponiomilly 

 small price. The iheapoess will be (Considered by 

 many persons as a reeommendatioo, provided the work- 

 man-hip be deemed sufiiciently gmid for all purposes ol 

 use Its slrenuth (ould not be questioned. 



Phmgh No. ti was well iiia.le and of good liirm for 

 so. lie kinds of Work The shape ,,f this inould bnard, 

 compared with many [ilouglis used in the eountiy, is 

 much lo be eoinmeaded, ll.ough ihe drafl required was 

 much against it. 



Plniigh No. 1 is well suited lo the oljecis 10 vihich it 

 13 principally applied, Ihal of ploughing in slubhle and 

 clover; and the refuse ol broom corn. Ills approvi;d 

 by many farm, rs on I 'nnm elicui river. It does not ap- 

 peal well sillied to ploiuiiing green sward, Irom the 

 shoriness of me mould b..anl, and a waul of curvature 

 on Its u|iper pait, lor which lea ons it breaks r.ither 

 ih.in luriis the sward. This likewise occasions a heavy 

 draught. 



Phmgh No. 2 fioni Prouty and jMears is denominated 

 by ti.o.-e ingenious mechiinicj ihe •• ilentral Ur.iuglii.' 



The land si f the piou-li is im lined to the nght 



at an angle we should siippnse of snme ten or filleeli 

 degiees; Ihe point cd' ihe share diverges from the line 

 of Ihe beam very cn-ideiably towards the left; and 

 ihiis Ihe gri al ell-ri of ihe plnngh, if we may be allow- 

 ed the expression is coniinuallv to make towards llie 

 land, culling under the the laud at an angle correspond- 

 ing to ihe oldlqillly of ihe Ijod side ol llie ploiiu-ll 11 

 IS obvious on .•x.inonallnn Dial lie- luriowside, where 

 It IS designed o be laid Hal will be cul in Ihls case 

 ill .1 form to shut III more perl. i:ily ihan if the furrow 

 slice he funned wilh perpendicular sides. In order lo 

 lest peilectly ihe eti'ect ..f suen airangemeni It would 

 have been nee. Ssaiy lo have held me plough, whicll 

 we bad II. I opporiuuity of ihnnj. but vv lihoul dnimr 

 Ibis 11 wnold be iiaiui-.il In ml r i|i,,i the power m 

 dr.iiigiil and the ililliruliy ol leddiug must be increased. 



It IS intended however, that a contrary efiecl irom this 

 should be produced 



'Ihal .1 plough should "draw true" as ihe expression 

 IS, or as the t iigiisb call 11, should " s« im lair" is a 

 material lequi-ite. Plnughmg should, as l.ir as pos.sible 

 In me same land be of equal depih and eqiiai widih of 

 ihe tuirow slice; and the plough m older liiai il should 

 '■ ho d 1 asy" sb.mld coosianily tind 10 keep itself in an 

 uprighi p siiioii. All diveision of its poinl fmrn a line 

 parallel nr cnmeideni wuh the draught increases the 

 |inwei^ ol ihaiight n quired ; and the iiiiliculty of linld- 

 iiig. 'Ihe poini ol the share may be sharpened by be, ng 

 flallened or cut down 011 the upper side ; but 11 should 

 in no ca.-e be turned upwaids or downwards, or 

 towards, ur from llie land These being adjusted we 

 apprehend that the centre of tiaclion and the line of 

 diaiight will depend nioie uf.on ihe lengih of 'lie beam 

 and of ihe chain and the mod.- of atiai lung ii to iliu 

 beam by ihe bridle than upon an» pariTcular form 

 of the plough. The experienced and ob.serving plonuli- 

 maii Hill easily hiiiisell adjust this ; and any a'dvaliTge 

 supposi d 0. this case 10 be derivi d from the" form ol ihe 

 |i|iiiigh do, s not appear 10 us, as al piesenl advised, 

 hilly esi.ibhshed. '1 his however can be best deUMuin- 

 ed only by actual irial. 



^ Nns 4 an. I 5 IJ.maid's ploughs and those of Ruggleg, 

 Nnurse iV Ala on, as well as those of Prouty & AVears', 

 are all finished with great care and show the skill wiih 

 which our mechanics execute their work. It is wiili 

 no view of disparaging others, thai we say ihat the fio-h- 

 iiig of Hovvard's ploughs disp. ays great nealiiess and 

 strength. The ploughs exhibiied we undersiand w ere 

 selected lioin a promiscuous collcciion at llie store of 

 M. ssis. J. Breek & Co. and presented the usual slylo 

 of vvorkiiianship. 'I'lie iinplemeiils presented by luig- 

 gles &. Co. and I'ronly ijt Alears were, we should inler 

 p.irlicularly prepared lor the occasion and much p..ins 

 and some expense incurred in llie sly le of gelling theiQ 

 up They were certainly very handsome iho.ig'ih ihe 

 finish could add nothing 10 iheir iiilrinsic value as im- 

 plements of husbandry. 



For a mere spectator on this occasion to compare mi- 

 nulely the difi'eieni ploughs was imp.issible. We shall 

 not undertake il. The Couiiuiltee 111 iheir refiort .lave 

 poinled nut differences, wtiicli could only be asceriaim-d 

 by hnlding, lor which we bad no opporlunily m respect 

 10 Knggles, th.iugh we have stood many a day betwian 

 the handl.s of Howard. All Ihal tiiiie"Howuida 

 plough was highly esleeined ; and since il,at lime it 

 has been the subject ol <-onstant improvenieni We 

 are nol willing 10 admit Inat any ihiiii; of hu- 

 man an has reached the limiis of perleciion, but wi be. 

 lieve ihai no better ploughs lor any and every kind of 

 woik, all circumstances bi-ing laken into rronsideralnm 

 are at preseni to hi' found than those of Howard, 'ihe 

 inould boarii has been exleuded since ii was first pro- 

 ducd; every etforl has been made which exp, rn nee 

 suggesled to improve it, ami a shoe has been apple d 

 in a very substantial m.iiiner to ihe level side, vvbieh 

 essentially coniribules to llie strength and durabiliiy of 

 ihe iniplemeiit. 



in a plough formed upon approved malhenialical iirin- 

 ciples excepting miar the end of llie share, which is 

 lliUened loall,,w ol its easy passage under the sward, 

 i the curv.itiiie ol ihe mould board should pass grailli.uly 

 ' through a quarier of a cin le 01 W)- umil 11 r aches a 

 poim where a line dr.iwn from llie lop of ihe mould 

 boaul 10 llie snoe or heel of the pl.mgh would be exact- 

 ly perpendicular. Ihe luriow -lide is then placed in 

 an uprighi pnsi.inn ; .,nd i,ey..nd Ihis p,,ii,i, m,; curva- 

 lure ol Ihe umul , bnard slmuld b. exi. nded sufbcenily 

 to inveitmesnd 11 sucli an angle as 11 is desirable it 

 should lay 111. Ihis, as we have sad, must dejieiid 

 much U|,on ihe plnughmaii. ilnuigh il is d, suable that 

 Ihe shape of .he plough should be such as to require as 

 ht.le as possible llie sKi.l ol iiie hnlUirr. 'J'be exieiisiun 

 of llm iiiniiiU luardbeyniid Ibis point vs ould im.-iease 

 Ihe Irictnm and 1 onseqnenily the power lequued lor 

 the draiighi; and on Ibe other hand b.o slmri a mould 

 board lends 10 br, ak the furiow slice and leave the 

 ground in heaps. 



The in-tru'iienl foi gauging the diau.^lii is an English 

 invention called ., b, „an,ouieler or measuier ol pifwer. 

 ills well descriliid by ilie l^ommilK-e. It is alluei ed 

 10 the end ol llie be.un ol ihe plnugb with ibe chain 

 .inched lo the other an.i acis i,p„u the same principle 

 as Ihe modern iiisiri.m. lit wiili a lio,,k at one end and a 

 ring al Ihcihei, .,,,d a mass index m Ironl lor ueigbing 

 small maileis in p,ace oi tne old lasliioned sleel-yaiOs. 



""^ ""-^ '•"<■ '■"•Id- a link in ,i,e 1 ,e ol drau.-hl ; 



and aLc.uding lo ,lie power lequund lo move ilie plough, 



