PLOUGHING. 125 



tion ; a few shovelfuls of manure have been put around each 

 tree in the fall, and spread in the spring. In trimming, care 

 has been taken to form the head so that the limbs will not 

 cross nor interfere with each other when loaded with fruit. 

 The trunk is left about six feet high, so that a team can 

 pass under without interfering with the horizontal branches ; 

 these branches at that height will touch the ground when 

 loaded with fruit. 



South Wilukaiiam, October, 18G0. 



PLOUGHING. 



ESSEX. 



From the Report of the Committee. 



A well chosen spot was selected for ploughing, it being a 

 rectangle, the lots well proportioned, about nine i*ods long hj 

 three wide, making about one-sixth of an acre, rising on either 

 side, which gave the spectators a good opportunity of overlook- 

 ing the scene. The ground was rather hard with pebble stones, 

 which is not undesirable to try the skill of the ploughman. 

 The premiums were well contested, and the work well done. 

 There were seven kinds of ploughs used ; but as different indi- 

 viduals have their preferences, the committee will not give 

 their opinion as to their comparative value. 



The committee were reminded of the importance of heavy 

 ploughs and strong teams on hard land, as a heavy plough is 

 much less disturbed by pebble-stones than are lighter ones ; 

 hence the reason why new ploughs make better work on hard 

 land than old ones, because ploughs grow lighter by wear, and 

 a strong team will make better work than a light one, as the 

 team will pass on more steadily. 



The time occupied in ploughing was from thirty-four to fifty 

 minutes — about the same length of time as has been usually 

 occupied in ploughing with ox teams. Possibly, however, they 

 might have ploughed a little quicker, had it not been under- 

 stood that the committee were not favorable to excessively 



