History of tue Plow. 



The most ancient form of the Roman plow iisea in the clays of 

 the Tarquins, is given in Fig. 3. 



A more recent form of 

 the implement, as used 

 by Cincinnatiis and Cato, 

 is given in Figs. 4 and 5, 

 which will be found to 

 agree exactly with the 



description of the imple- Mg.3. 



ment given by Virgil in the Georgics. The sole of the plow, 

 A B, has two rectangular pieces of wood, G and H, fixed to it 

 on each side, forming an acute angle with it, in which the teeth, 



E F {dentalia), are inserted. This 

 exactly answers the description of 

 Virgil: "Duplici aptantur dentalia 

 dorso;" (the teeth are fitted to the 

 double back.) E and F project 

 obliquely upward, and perform the 

 oflice of a mould-board. The share, 

 B, was of metal. 



The next improvement in the plow 

 was to cover the point with iron. 

 A very ancient implement of British 

 husbandry, called the Caschrom, is 

 given in Fig. 6, which is used as a 

 plow at this day in some parts of the 

 outer Hebrides and in the Isle of 

 Sky. Like the preceding examples 

 of the implement from Asia Minor 

 and Egypt, the wooden portion of 

 it is in one single piece, and has 

 evidently been selected on account 

 of the natural crook which it had 

 'assumed in the tree, that permits 

 the part a d to run nearly horizon- 

 tally, while the upward curve of 

 F'/g, 4. jF'i^r. 6. the handle, a c, rises to the shoulder 



of the plowman, and is allowed to rest upon it. When he 

 desires to make it go deeper into the ground, he raises c on 

 his shoulder; when it runs in too deeply, he presses with his foot 

 upon the pin e. It is armed with an iron chisel at the point h, 



