524 MASS. BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



and time, if he was without a harrow, or if he shauld use the 

 flail or horse's hoof, instead of the threshing machine, upon 

 large quantities of grain. 



If his plough turns the furrow, so as to preclude the atmos- 

 pheric influences, or breaks it into disjointed masses, his crop 

 is materially affected by it. The whole action of the plough 

 depends upon a shaping so precise, that a very accustomed eye 

 cannot ascertain without trial whether a plough is rightly 

 turned or not. Again, the operation of the plough depends 

 upon the kind of soil to be turned. The heavy ploughs made 

 for the strong and hard soils of New England, might prove of 

 little use on the mellow vegetable mould, that constitutes the 

 prairies of the West. In Massachusetts, many of the farms 

 are so small that the sickle and flail may still be used ; while 

 in Illinois, Iowa, or Missouri, the use of either would be looked 

 upon as strange, and excite as much wonder, as would Noah's 

 ark, with its inhabitants, drifting into the harbor of Chicago, 

 or working up stream, against the current of the Mississippi, 

 into the port of St. Louis. 



The plough is the implement of the most importance on the 

 farm; and the improvements made in this article, within a 

 few years, especially in the draft and in the adaptation for sub- 

 soiling, must produce great and beneficial results in this State, 

 which will show a new and more smiling face on our ancient 

 mother, in the latter half of this century. 



It is but a short time since the discovery was made that large 

 portions of our best and most fertile lands, were neglected and 

 unproductive. Experiments were made on a small scale, to 

 reclaim meadow lands, in the Irish fashion, with the hoe ; then 

 the common plough was introduced, but both proved inade- 

 quate to the labor. It was found that the cost of subduing in 

 this manner, was so great, that few proceeded in the attempt. 

 But enough was accomplished to reveal the fertility of these 

 lands, and to excite an inquiry how they could be reclaimed 

 at a remunerating cost. Methods were soon devised not only 

 to plough meadows that were hard, but those inaccessible to 

 the team on account of their softness. The pulley, rackets, 

 and meadow plough with double share, have added some mil- 



