52 



AUSTRALIAN AGRICULTURE. 



enable him to get the best results, the tools should not 

 weigh an ounce more than is necessary for the strain put 

 upon them. Quality of material, steel, iron, and wood, 

 and substance where required only, rather than weight 

 and bulk, should guide in the choice of tools of that kind, 

 even more than in those used for horse, steam, or other 

 mechanical power. 



Science in the Plough. The history of improvement 

 in ploughs and ploughing is amongst the curious in agricul- 

 tural advancement. The implement, as we have it 

 nowadays, is the direct outcome of scientific skill in the 

 mechanics of agriculture. The implement is a lever of the 

 first order. It also acts as a wedge, and when well and 

 proportionately made, is a jnost effective and scientifically 

 arranged implement. At a the draught of horse or bullocks 

 is brought to bear ; b b are the handles for the hold of the 

 driver ; c the points of the share and the coulter. When 

 leverage is required at c or higher up on the mould board, 

 power applied at 6 is very effective. In good ploughing 

 the implement should run perfectly true in the furrow 

 from the draught at a without extra application of force 

 from the ploughman at b. 



The share (a) acting as a 

 wedge raises the soil or fur- 

 row slice. When b is reached 

 the slice of soil is still fur- 

 ther raised, and the top is 

 tilted gradually outwards 

 from the surface. When at 



As Wedge aud Section of Screw. 



c, the soil is turned over. 



Here we see 

 how the soil is 

 turned over, and 

 the principle upon 

 which the share 

 and mouldboard 



of the- plough do their work. At a the soil has reached 

 the mouldboard, and as the implement moves forward the 

 furrow slice is raised and turned gradually, until finally 



How the Soil is Turned Over. 



