NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



315 





RUGGLES, NOURSE, MASON, & CO.'S NEW STUBBLE PLOUGH. 



OF PLOUGHS AND PLOUGHING. 



Editors op the Ci'ltivator : In the Cultivator 

 for March last, there are some ideas of mine upon 

 "Ploughs and Ploughing." I there mentioned that, 

 with such ploughs as I had used, I had not been able 

 to turn stubble land in a manner that seemed to me 

 to be the most desirable, nor to plough so deep a 

 furrow in greensward land as I wished; that I had 

 stated my difficulties to Messrs. Ruggles, Nourse, 

 Mason, & Co., and that they were getting up some 

 new patterns of ploughs with the intention of obvi- 

 ating my difficulties. These gentlemen have now 

 completed three sizes of a new plough for green- 

 sward, and two sizes for stubble land. One of the 

 largest of each size I have tested thoroughly, and I 

 am now happy to be able to say that they meet my 

 wants entirely. 



The mould-board of the stubble plough is of a 

 considerably shorter construction, and is wider at 

 the heel, in proportion to its length, than that of any 

 good sod plough ; and this gives it great turning 

 power, enabling it to take up its loose furrow-slice, 

 throw it all over to the desired place, completely in- 

 verting as well as pulverizing it, and leaving a clean 

 channel behind for the reception of the next furrow. 

 The castings, both of the mould-board and land side, 

 are considerably higher than is usual in ploughs, 

 which prevents stones and clods of earth from fall- 



ing over and down between them, and thus aiding to 

 fill up the furrow channel. The beam, immediately 

 forward of the standard-bolt of the castings, is high 

 and arching, giving a clear space of eighteen inches 

 between the beam and the sole of the castings. — 

 When the plough is at work in the furrow, the extra 

 space left between the surface of the ground and the 

 plough-beam, in consequence of the increased height 

 of the latter, effectually prevents the wadding up of 

 stubble, coarse manure, or other impediments, im- 

 mediately forward of the standard ; and thus ai'C 

 avoided those vexations so frequently experienced 

 when ploughs of the common construction are used. 

 In June last, for the express purpose of testing this 

 plough in regard to its ability to keep itself clear 

 from clogging, I spread a dressing of the coarsest 

 kind of long manure over an acre of corn-stubble 

 land, and set the plough at work in furrows eight 

 inches deep. The acre was ploughed, and the ma- 

 nure all covered, without once stopping the plough 

 to clear it, and without any effort on my part to pre- 

 vent its clogging. With this implement, the plough- 

 man may choose any furrow he pleases, from five to 

 twelve inches deep. The small size of the stubble 

 plough is intended to meet the wants of those fann- 

 ers who work their stubble lands with light teams. 

 The largest size is easily drawn, in sandy or gravelly 

 loams, by a pair of stout horses or oxen, if the fur- 

 row is not more than eight inches deep. 



U)r^<^ 





RUGGLES, NOURSE, MASON, & CO.'S NEW SWARD PLOUGH. 



The greensward plough is of quite different con- 

 struction from that of the stubble plough. Its point 

 is long, rising very gradually towards the standard, 



with a share gradually widening to its full breadth 

 and cut. The plough enters thr ground in the form, 

 so to speak, of a long, tapering wedge, lifting th'- 



