OPERATION OF PLOWING. 129 



may be done with the least draught to the team, and the 

 least exertion to himself. '' To secure this end," says 

 Todd, " the team is hitched as close to the plow as it can 

 be and not have the whiffle-trees hit their heels in turn- 

 ing at the corners. As the length of the traces is in- 

 creased, in plowing, the draught increases. N"ow put the 

 connecting ring, or link, or dial clevis, at the end of the 

 beam, in the lowest notch ; and if it will not run deep 

 enough, raise it another notch at a time until it will run 

 just deep enough. Now alter the clevis from right to 

 left, or from left to right, as may be necessary, until the 

 plow wdll cut a furrow-slice just wide enough to turn it 

 over well. If the plow crowds the furrow-slice without 

 turning it over, it shows that the furrow-slice is too nar- 

 row for its deptli; and the plow must be adjusted to cut 

 a wider slice. On the contrary, if the plowman is obliged 

 to constantly push the furrow-slice over with his foot, if 

 the ground he is plowing be very smooth and even, it 

 shows that there is an imperfection or fault somewhere. 

 Sometimes by adjusting a plow to run an inch deeper, it 

 will do very bad ^vork. And sometimes it is necessary to 

 adjust it to cut a little wider, or a little narrower, before 

 it will cut the furrow-slice as well as it ought to be cut. 

 When a good plow is correctly adjusted, it will glide 

 along, where there are no obstructions, Avithout being 

 held, for many rods. When a plow is constantly inclined 

 to fall over either way, and the plowman must hold it up 

 all the while, to keep it erect, there is either an imperfec- 

 tion in the construction of the plow, or it is not adjusted 

 correctly. When a plow " tips up hehindj"* and does not 

 keep down flat on its sole, or when it seems to run all on 

 the point, either the point is too blunt, or is worn off too 

 much on the under side, or there is not " dip enough " 

 pitching of the plow downwards to the point. Some- 

 times I have found that a plow could not be adjusted by 

 the clevis so correctly as all the parts were arranged ; and 

 6* 



