No. 8. 



Prouty S^ Mears' Centre-draught Plough. 



243 



Communicated for the Farmers' Cabinet. 



The Prouty & Mears' Boston Centre- 

 Draught Plough, ill Ohio. 



Messrs. Prouty & Co., — I did not re- 

 ceive tlie plough you sent me until the last 

 week in November. Happening then to go 

 to town with my wagon on a market day, I 

 found it at the warehouse of Mr. Kirk, to 

 whose care it had been forwarded by Mr. 

 Smith, of Cincinnati, where it had arrived 

 a day or two before, attracting very great 

 attention from numerous farmers who had 

 examined it, and by whom it had been much 

 admired. When I had got it in my wagon 

 and into the street, I soon had a crowd 

 around it from three to four deep, and as 

 many as could stand upon it, being literally 

 blocked up for a considerable time, by farm- 

 ers who were desirous of seeing "The Boston 

 Centre-draught Prouty & Mears' Plough," 

 two seeming to come for one that left; but 

 night coming on, I was obliged to leave. 



The land being in tolerable order, on the 

 monday following many of the neighbours 

 collected to see the plough tried. VVe took 

 it into the field together with one that drew 

 a premium at our Fair, made by Mr. Pea- 

 cock, of Cincinnati, who had left it with me 

 for the purpose, and which, when tried by| 

 the Dynamometer, was the lightest running 

 plough at the Fair, turning as neat a furrow 

 as any, but not so wide, on which account it 

 took the second premium only, although 

 many considered it entitled to the first. 

 The trial commenced, by backing up three 

 rounds, about 50 rods in length, with the 

 Peacock plough ; land, a stift' clover sod 

 three years old, interspersed with patches 

 of very tough blue grass ; the soil varying 

 from very stiff clay to black loam ; the sur- 

 face rolling, and often very sideling. The 

 rounds being long and soil stiff, we were not 

 surprised to find the horses sweat considera- 

 bly. We then hitched to the Prouty Cen- 

 tre-draught, and backed five rounds to these 

 three, when it was observed by all present, 



ithat by the time the team had gone a single 

 round they began to cool, and before the five 

 (rounds were finished they Imd become per- 

 jfectly cool, evidently walking oft' with great 

 ease to themselves, although carrying a fur- 

 jrow an inch deeper and two inches wider 

 jthan that taken by the Peacock plough. 



We next backed up three rounds in an- 

 , other place with the Centre-draught, and 

 I then turned four rounds with the Peacock 

 ; plough, when, as soon as we started, the 

 horses began to labour, and by the time the 

 j rounds were finished, they were in a sweat 

 ! again. And although we had no Dynamom- 

 jeter to ascertain the precise difference be- 

 tween the draught of the two ploughs, it 

 was very evident to all that it was greatly 

 in favour of the Boston Centre-draught. 

 Mr. Peacock has the reputation of being 

 one of the best plough makers in the State, 

 and this plough was considered a first-rate 

 article, yet when we came to compare the 

 work performed, the difference between theni 

 was greater than in their draught, the Pea- 

 cock plough edging the furrows, laying them 

 uneven and considerably broken, leaving the 

 clover tops visible through nearly all the 

 work, while the Prouty plough inverted the 

 sod so completely, that you could not have 

 told, and would have had to guess what crop 

 had grown there, unless the clover roots had 

 led you into the secret; the soil at the same 

 time being left quite mellow, and in fine 

 order for harrowing. 



I have ploughed five acres of similar land 

 since, and like my plough better and better. 

 The work, examined by many first-rate 

 farmers, has been pronounced by all, supe- 

 rior to every thing they had before seen. I 

 have also tried it in stubble land, and find 

 it to work admirably. I measured thirty- 

 one furrows in the sod ground, and found 

 them to average thirteen inches wide, with 

 an uniform depth of seven inches. The 

 wheel works to perfection, and is conveni- 

 ent on many more accounts, than regulating 

 Ijthe depth of the furrows. I forgot to say, 



