Chap. XVIII. Of Ploughs. h% 7 



it is turned off, the Parts are drawn together again by 

 the Spring of the Turf or Swerd (a), and fo remain 

 whole after Plowing. Thus the Four-coultered Plow- 

 can divide the Soil into above Twenty times more 

 Parts than the common Plough ; and fometimes, 

 when the Earth is of a right Temper betwixt wet and 

 dry, the Earth-board, in turning the Furrows off, 

 will break them into Duft, having more Superficies 

 than is made by Four common Plowings; and it is 

 impoffible there mould be any large Pieces amongft 

 it. 



Now, what a prodigious Advantage rnurx the In- 

 fluences of the Atmofphere have upon thefe fmall 

 Parts, for making a further Divifion of them ! Frofl, 

 Water, Drought, and nitrous Air, eafily penetrate to 

 their very Centers, which cannot in the largeft of 

 them be more than one Inch and a Quarter diftant 

 from their Superficies. This Advantage, with a few 

 fubfequent common Plowings, performed in proper 

 Seafons, refolves the Earth almoft all to a^owder. 

 The Swerd, fome being immerfed or buried and 

 mixed among fo great a Proportion of Mould, is foon 

 rotten and loft ; fome of the Swerd lying loofe a-top, 

 the Earth prefently drops out of it ; and then the 

 Roots are dried up, and die. Thus is the whole 

 Staple of the Ground brought into perfect Tilth in 



(a) A fwerdy Furrow cut ojT by only one Coulter, being 

 whole, is apt to ft and up on its Edge, or lie hollow ; and then, 

 being open to the Air, it does not rot; but when it is cut by fe- 

 veral Coulters, it has not Strength to fupport itfelf, it falls down, 

 lies clofe to the Earth under it, and, excluding the free Air from 

 the Turf, it foon becomes rotten. And for killing the Turf of 

 fwerdy Land is the chief Ufa of the Four-coultered Plough : For 

 doing of which there is this Advantage, that as in a whole Fur- 

 row there are often Strings of Couch-grafs, Three or Four Feet 

 long ; but, when cut by this Plough, there is fcarce a String left 

 of one Foot long: And thefe Strings being apt to fend cut Roots 

 from every Knot or Joint, the fhorter they are cut, the more 

 they will be expofed to the Air and Sun, which will kill them 

 the fooner. 



a very 



