HARROW. 



HARROW. 



seeds of the cultivated plants, when sown 

 The form of the plough has been very different 

 in different ages and countries, and there if 

 little resemblance between the rude machines 

 of the ancients and some of those which are 

 now employed; but the harrow seems to have 

 been nearly of the same form from the earliest 

 times to which we are able to trace it on sculp- 

 tures, medals, and other remains of antiquity. 

 It is a much more simple machine than the 

 plough, and may even be held to be imperfect 

 in any form in which it can be made ; yet it is 

 an instrument of great utility in tillage, and no 

 other has yet been devised to supersede its use, 

 or to equal it, for many of the purposes to which 

 it is applicable. (Quart. Journ. of Agr. vol. i. p. 

 503.) 



There were various stages in the gradual 

 introduction of the modern harrow. The first 

 implement used by men, for the purpose of 

 covering seed, is generally the branch of a 

 tree; to these soon succeed more desirable 

 substances, such as beams of wood ; and then, 

 again, two or more beams are fastened toge- 

 ther : spikes, or teeth, are a much later im- 

 provement. Even now, in India (and there 

 the natives but rarely alter their modes of cul- 

 ture or their implements), an instrument is 

 used which is intended to produce the combined 

 effects of the roller and the harrow. This, ac- 

 cording to Mr. G. W. Johnson, "is nothing 

 more in form than an English ladder made of 

 bamboo, about 18 feet long, drawn by four 

 bullocks and guided by two men, who, to in- 

 crease its power, stand upon it, as they direct 

 and urge on the cattle : again and again has it 

 to pass over the same surface, and thus it 

 causes a great waste of time and labour." 



Important as is the operation of harrowing, 

 and second only to that of ploughing, it has 

 often appeared to us that these implements 

 have scarcely obtained the attention which is 

 their due. We here speak less with reference 

 to the improvements which have been carried 

 into effect, than to the selection which appears 

 generally to have been made. The operation 

 is in many neighbourhoods so performed as to 

 exhibit a prominent defect, either in the ma- 

 nagement of the farm, or in the construction 

 of the implement: perhaps the blame may be 

 fairly shared. It is admitted by all acquainted 

 with the subject, that harrowing, especially on 

 heavy soils, is the most laborious operation on 

 the farm, not so much, perhaps, on account 

 of the quantum of power requisite for the 

 draught (though this is sometimes considera- 

 ble), as for the speed with which the operation 

 is, or ous:ht to be, accompanied ; and yet it is 

 frequently left to the charge of mere boys, and 

 sometimes performed by the worst horses on 

 the farm. If we examine a field, one-half of 

 which has been harrowed by weak, inefficient 

 horses, and whose pace was consequently 

 sluggish, the other half by an adequate strength 

 and swiftness of animal power, we shall find 

 the former will be rough and unfinished; the 

 latter comparatively firm and level, and com- 

 pleted in what would be called a husbandry- 

 like manner. Scarcely any thing in fanning is 

 more unsightly than the wavy, serpentine traces 

 of inefficient harrowing. The generality of 



harrows appear to us too heavy and clumsy to 

 admit of that despatch without which the work 

 cannot be well done ; and though it is evident 

 that different soils demand different imple- 

 ments, of proportionate weight and power, yet, 

 for the most part, harrows have been rather 

 over than under-weighted, particularly when 

 employed after a drill, or to bury seeds of any 

 kind. Harrowing has been so long regarded 

 as an operation which must be attended with 

 considerable horse-labour, that our attention 

 has been turned to the inquiry, whether this 

 labour might not be greatly reduced by lighten- 

 ing the harrows. Many, we think, would be 

 surprised at the amount of reduction of which 

 seed-harrows, at least, are capable, and where 

 land is clear, to see how effective a gang of 

 very light small-toothed harrows may be made. 

 Having noticed the perfect manner in which 

 seed-corn is covered by a common rake with 

 wooden teeth, in some parts of Norfolk, a friend 

 of ours constructed a gang of harrows on the 

 following plan, and he states that they proved 

 the most popular and useful implement of the 

 kind on the farm. PI. 15, fig. 1. 



The frames are of ash, and as light as pos- 

 sible, the teeth (of iron) being but three inches 

 long, exclusive of the part which enters the 

 wood-work. They screw into the balks in the 

 manner shown in PI. 15, fig. 4. 



It will be observed that the above four har- 

 rows are amply sufficient to cover a twelve- 

 furrow stetch or ridge of 108 inches, but three 

 will be wide enough for a three-furrow stetch 

 of 90 inches, exclusive of a small portion of 

 the furrows. If for some purposes the teeth be 

 found too thick, every other tooth may be taken 

 out ; but for general purposes this will hardly 

 be necessary. The two horses require, on this 

 plan, to be kept quite level ; for if one is suf- 

 fered to go in advance of the other, a diagonal 

 line is produced, by which the teeth will be 

 made to follow each other, instead of cutting 

 fresh ground. We are aware that, by the usual 

 construction of harrows, a diagonal line of 

 draught is required, in order to throw the teeth 

 into a proper working position; but we are 

 strongly inclined to the opinion, that the due 

 execution of the implement ought to depend on, 

 its construction, and not on any particular 

 mode of working it. Besides, the system of 

 keeping one horse in advance of his partner is 

 bad in principle ; it is an unequal division of 

 labour, the fore-horse being compelled to do 

 more than his share of the work, which, under 

 any circumstances, is always heavy enough. 

 We have stated that the above set of harrows 

 are of wood. Their extraordinary lightness 

 renders this necessary ; but, for general pur- 

 poses, we prefer those made of iron, the weight 

 of which can be increased to any reasonable 

 degree without adding much to their substance. 

 This is important in working tenacious clays, 

 which, by adhering to the clumsy wooden 

 balks, considerably increase the labour, and at 

 the same time impede the proper execution. 



In an experiment made between a pair of 

 wooden harrows and a pair of iron ones, con- 

 structed on the same plan, having the same 

 number, and precisely the same disposition of 

 the teeth and balks, although the iron were 



603 



