50 ECONOMY OF FARMING. 



below upward, hence it is impossible to conceive how the weight of the plough can 

 serve for this purpose to increase the resistance which proceeds from it. Of experi- 

 ments of my own : 



1. In an easy, sandy soil, in turning over a stubble field of rye, the breadth of the 

 furrows uniformly 11 inches : 



With the Norisch (a hill-side plough), depth 4^ inches, required 290 to 309 lbs. 

 u « "5^ " " 328 " 340 « 



Plough in common use . . " 6 " " 430 " 



In the comparison, was then taken the Hacken (another kind of plough), since it 

 would answer to show the difference of power and effect between these two instra- 

 ments. 



The Hacken required on . .44: inches depth 340 lbs. 



" " " . . . . 4f " " 362 " 



u a u ... b'i " " 445—485 " 



2. In a moist, sandy marl soil, similar experiments were also tried: 



The plough required in . . . 5^ inches depth, 435 lbs. 



« « « 8 " " 645 " 



« « " 10 " " 790 " 



The Hacken '♦ 5f " « 518 « 



" " "...,. 7 " •' 545 " 



The ploughs here mentioned were rather imperfect and therefore needed more 

 power than was required in the first English experiments on a fallow field." 



The ploughs in Germany are poor compared to those of England and in this 

 country : various experiments have been tried in this country in different places to 

 determine the merits of many of the ploughs which lay claim to public favor ; the re- 

 sults of which have been published in the Agricultural Journals. I have quoted the 

 above on account of the deductions our Author makes from them. The Hacken 

 above alluded to, he describes to be a plough which forms a complete wedge, its 

 share being an isosocles triangle, or with two equal sides, which must always turn 

 furrow slices one over the other, in the same direction, and hence its share cuts on 

 both sides, and it has two strickles or strike-boards, which work alternately. The 

 Norisch plough has a small-mould board that hangs on the sole, and seems to be a 

 hill-side plough as it derives its name from the old Noricum, a mountainous region 

 where it is in use. 



In Wilkinson's Agricultural Mechanics, p. 161, it is stated, that the strain of the 

 draught upon a plough is calculated according to the square of whatever portion is 

 under ground ; thus where only 3 inches are buried, the pressure will be only 9 ; but 

 if the furrow be carried to the depth of 6 inches, it will be 36. 



The following result of the trial of several ploughs, given in the Agricultural 

 Transactions of the Essex Co. Society, Mass. for 1842, is confined to ploughs by 

 two manufacturers : 



The ploughing was by oxen; the numbers in the column of power applied, indicate 

 the 8ths of 100 lbs. The number of square inches of earth turned, is ascertained by 

 multiplying the width and depth of the furrow together, and the proportionate result 

 is ascertained by dividing the quantity of earth turned by the power applied." — Tr.] 



