PLOUGHING. 129 



awarding the first premium to Mr. Soutliworth ; and wc were 

 equally unanimous in the opinion, indicated by the recom- 

 mendation of a gratuity, that the work of each of the others 

 was entitled to some substantial token of commendation. In 

 some respects, the work performed by Mr. Davis's plough was 

 not excelled by that of any on the ground, and it would have 

 been assigned a higher place in our award, but for the undue 

 haste manifested by the driver, and an apparent want of raechan- 

 nical skill so to adjust his plough as to secure a due proportion 

 between the width and depth of his furrow. We think the 

 practice of timing the work here objectionable. The committee 

 on ploughing should consist of men capable of judging, without 

 the aid of a watch, whether the movements of a team are active 

 and prompt ; while ploughmen and spectators should be dis- 

 abused of the common notion that a difference in time, of sixty 

 or ninety seconds, in ploughing an eighth of an acre, will have 

 any appreciable influence in determining the award of pre- 

 miums. 



The three horses of Mr. Davis were harnessed abreast, after 

 the English fashion — an arrangement which is economical, in 

 that it enables the ploughman to drive his own team ; but we 

 think the line of draught is too much towards the landside for 

 a plough constructed on the usual centre-draught principle. 

 We have no doubt that a plough might be so made as to work 

 well with a team so harnessed. 



Mr. Southworth is a veteran competitor for the society's 

 premiums. We could almost wish to see him an unsuccessful 

 one ; not to his disparagement, however, but because, when we 

 can see gathered here half a score of ploughmen more skilful 

 than he, we shall believe that in Plymouth County, at least, 

 the art of ploughing is rapidly approaching perfection. Mr. 

 Smith's team consisted of two horses only, apparently well able 

 to perform the work required of them. They were, of course, 

 more completely under the control of the ploughman than any 

 double team could be. 



There were but two competitors for the six premiums on 

 ploughing with other than Michigan ploughs. The work of each 

 was well performed, the difference in its quality being, perhaps, 

 less than the difference in the premiums. 

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