16 Report on Trials of Plows. 



There is a plow now in the museum of the Society at Albany, 

 from Canada, derived from France, which has been in use there 

 unchanged for centuries, although no one knows how many, which 

 seems to be the first feeble attempt to realize this idea. We give 

 a drawing of it in Fig. 13. 



It will be seen that this is the twisted wedge raising up the 

 earth first and then twisting it to the right. It is furnished with 

 two wheels to keep it steady in the furrow, and a coulter of the 

 modern form. It is a rude affair when compared with our modern 

 implements, but it shows real genius in its author. 



The beginning of the last century was signalized by a revival 

 of interest in agriculture in England, and attention was more 

 strongly turned to the improvement of the plow than ever before. 

 A plow introduced from Holland, and known as the Rotherham 

 plow (many persons suppose this name to be a corruption of Rot- 

 terdam), was first constructed hy Joseph Foljambe of Yorkshire, 

 which he soon after sold to Mr. Staniforth, who did not manufac- 

 ture them himself, but charged a royalty of two shillings and six- 

 pence on the manufacture by others; but when he attempted to 

 raise the price to seven shillings and sixpence, the validity of his 

 patent was contested and set aside by the courts on the ground 

 that it was not a new invention. 



This plow became very popular among the more enterprising 

 farmers; but notwithstanding its work was much better, and its 

 draft was much lighter, it came very slowly into use among the 

 masses. 



Fig. 14, land side of Eotherham plow. Fig. 15, furrow side of 

 Rotherham plow. 



DIMENSIONS OF THE ROTHERHAM PLOW-Fio. 15. 



Feet. In. 



From the end of stilt, E, to the point of the share, 1 7 4* 



From the end of beam, A, to point of share, 1 3 0* 



Length of the beam, A, B , . 6 



Width of the head in the widest part, T ] 4 



Width of the head at J •. . . . 9 



Width of share at D 85 



Length of surface on which the plow touches the ground, J, 1 2 10s 



Height from ground where the coulter goes through 1 8 



Width between stilts at extreme end 2 6 



Height of stilts from ground 2 10 



Weight of wood and iron work 14 cwt. 



* These measures are taken by dropping a perpendicular to the plane of the sole, and 

 then measuring horizontally. 



