230 



THE GENESEE FARMER. 



0< 



Ije Jploro. — Its (Ijistoru cmif Improvements. No. 



pstln: 



ETZOIiVED IN THE CONSTBtTCTION AND OPERATION O? TilS PLOW. 



BY HORACE L. F.MCKY, OF ALBANY, N. Y. 



lower than the surface of the ground being p] v. 



Frxekd Moore : — As I some months since com- 

 menced a series of notices concerning the Plow, 

 and promised to continue them, I now forward you 

 a few cuts, with my own explanations of the power 

 and draft, as connected with the Plow. 



Having before written concerning its form and con- 

 si ruction, I will now continue, with the remark, that 

 probably few subjects are less correctly understood, not 

 only by plow makers but by the plowmen themselves, 

 (who of all others are most interested.) for as much 

 depends upon the proper attachment of the power 

 as upon the proper construction of the Plow, to cause 

 it to do its work properly, and with the least expendi- 

 ture of power of man and team. 



From the complex construction of plows, as also 

 the manner in which circumstances oblige us to 

 apply the motive power, many different theories and 

 misconceptions have arisen as to the proper mode of 

 application of the draft to effect the desired operation 

 of the plow. 



To better illustrate the subject, a reference to the 

 above drawing, with the explanations will be of 

 service to all concerned. 



1 . All plows, when in operation, meet with re- 

 sistance, caused by friction in the soil, and which is 

 increase! by the weight of the furrow-slice, as well 

 as the tenacity of the soil or sward. 



2. All plows, when in operation, have a right line 

 of draft, (often miscalled center draft,) which may 

 be defined by drawing a direct line from the fixed 

 point of the motive power, (as for instance, the ring 

 of the hames in the harness of the horse, or the 

 ring of the yoke, with oxen,) to the center point, or 

 place of the resistance of the work upon the mould- 

 board of the plow, — or as may be seen in cut, from 

 E to A or E to B. 



Were it not for considerations of convenience, a 

 chain firmly attached to the body of the plow at A 

 or B, in the direction of this line of draft to E, would 

 answer all purposes better perhaps than the wood 

 beam, as now constructed. 



Now, as the chain, if placed as above described, 

 would obstruct the proper working of the plow, we 

 are compelled to apply the power indirectly to pro- 

 duce the desired c fleet — the power of draft being the 

 means by which the end is accomplished; it is by 

 the use of the present framework of the beam (con- 

 nected firmly and unyieldingly to the body of the 

 plow,) that the desired end and object is attained. 

 Therefore, when the beam is constructed properly,' 

 the effect produced by the application of the force at 

 the point of the beam at C or D, is precisely the 

 same as if attached to the chain, firmly fixed to the 

 m uld-board at A or B, as before described. This 

 much flu- the line of draft. 



The poinl or center of resistance upon the plow, 

 is on the forward part of the mould-board, and a little 



and about midway of the width of the furrow slice. 

 This cent?r of resistance is varied by circumstances, 

 as for instance, let the plow in above figure b 1 set 

 into the furrow to the depth as represented by the 

 two lines G and II, the center would be rear the 

 point on the mould-board marked A. In this case, 

 the draft is represented by the line A to E, and to 

 secure the proper working of the plow, and j r - 

 this line it becomes important that the force ! 

 applied to the beam at the point C. But should the 

 plow be set deeper in the ground, and as shown by 

 the lines F H, the center of resistance would be 

 higher up the mould-board, or at B, thereby chang- 

 ing the line of draft from A E to B E, and requiring 

 the power to be applied to the beam at the point D, 

 instead of C, as before. 



From the foregoing, it will be readily seen, that 

 the line of draft is changed as often as. the center of 

 resistance is changed by deep or shoal, as also wide 

 or narrow furrows; or as often as the point of draft 

 of the team is changed by tall or short horses or 

 oxen, long or short traces, or long or short yokes. 

 In order, therefore, to preserve the line of draft, it 

 is necessary to have an adjustable clevis at the end 

 of the beam, that the plowman may regulate the 

 same to accommodate the circumstances of the case. 



Should the plow incline to raise at the point, and 

 require an exertion of the plowman to keep it down, 

 it follows that the power is applied too low in the 

 clevis to accommodate the line of draft; as for in- 

 stance, the center of resistance being at B in the cut, 

 and the attachment to the clevis being at C, the 

 power beinjr at E, the plow would tend to rise at the 

 point C until it intersects the line B E. This wcul 1 

 probably throw the plow out of the ground, or lessen 

 the depth of its work. By the simple arrangement 

 of the clevis, and attaching the power to the beam 

 at the point D, the steady, easy and uniform m >t ion 

 of the plow is obtained and preserved, and the same 

 rule for regulating or applying the draft holds equ 

 true in all cases, as width, depth, &sc. 



If a plow is properly stocked, the clevis givi 

 the rariati wis to the extent of the square of Lh 

 of the beam, is sufficient for all practical purposes; 

 but as it often happens that from wi kill in 



the construction of the plow, or the condition of 

 the land, or when two or three horses abreast arc 

 used, or when it is desired to have the team work 

 upon the solid ground in plowing bogs, kr,. it is all 

 important that a clevis be so constructed that it may 

 be susceptible of sufficiently wide range of variations. 



Many different kindB of attachments have been 

 invented — some simple and good, while others are 

 heavy, cumbrous, and inconvenii nt. The best now 

 b ffore the public is that calle ! the Di with 



the 'raft rod, known as J. M. C. Armsbt's 



