286 FRANKLIN SOCIETY. 



which, while it leaves no ridge of turf unbroken, or merely- 

 crowded aside, as with the old Michigan, so beautifully breaks 

 up and pulverizes the surface as hardly to require the after 

 services of the harrow, and renders it almost fit and ready, 

 without further action, to receive the seed; and the committee 

 were also glad to observe that the double plough could be 

 worked with one team in about the same time as the common 

 single plough ; and we urge it upon every farmer to avail him- 

 self of the improved facilities thus offered him in the breaking 

 up of new lands. 



The diminution of pressure upon the ploughshare, and the 

 consequent ease of draft, by which the labor of man and beast 

 is much lessened, is an important point to be taken into consid- 

 eration in the manufacture of ploughs ; and a grand improve- 

 ment is claimed in this respect by the patentees of a new 

 instrument* employed on the present occasion, which, if real, 

 is deserving of especial notice and commendation ; but, owing 

 to a change in regard to the proviso of " owning the ploughs 

 employed thirty days previous to the exhibition," made within 

 a few days, a number of members were prevented from enter- 

 ing their teams, and hence there was too little competition — 

 all the ploughs, save one, being of the same kind — for the 

 committee to judge fairly of the superiority of the plough em- 

 ployed, if any, over the other patterns. 



In giving their award of premiums, the committee had less 

 field of action and room for choice, on account of the unu- 

 sually small number (for the reason mentioned above) of 

 entries. The society's prescribed depth of seven inches was 

 not in all cases come up to, and the committee, on that ac- 

 count, are obliged to withhold a greater expression of satisfac- 

 tion from teams that did their work quickly and laid their land 

 well. Yet, all farmers know that it is far easier to lay a light, 

 shallow furrow handsomely than it is a deep one, when there 

 is only an inch or two of difference, as well as to do the work 

 more speedily. The land selected was unfortunately not en- 

 tirely level, nor homogeneous, being in some parts heavy and 

 moist. Certain lots were of a light loamy texture and of easier 

 tillage than the rest, — facts considered by the committee in 



* See Note on preceding page. 



