46 



Report on Trials of Plows. 



not to give the requisite certainty of action, without a greater 

 amount of exertion, as well as closer attention on the part of the 

 plowman. A like reason prevails for this inclination of the share 

 landward as does for its earthward inclination; and, for the steady 

 motion of the plow, the latter is even more necessary than the 

 I'ormer; but there is another reason for this landAvard inclination, 

 which is that, as the plow is seldom held with the laud side truly 

 vertical, but inclining a little landward, and it being desirable to 

 cut the furrow slice, as near as possible, rectangular, the coulter 

 has always a slight tendency landward at the point; hence it 

 becomes necessary to give the share a like bias. By this arrange- 

 ment of the parts the incision made by the coulter will be nearly 

 vertical. While it is admitted that these inclinations of the share 

 afford certain advantages in the action of the plow, it must not be 

 concealed that the practice is liable to abuse. 



The curves of the mould-board of this plow are given at Figs. 

 Ill and 112, Plate III. As plow diagrams in this form are not 

 familiar to farmers and plow-makers in this country, it may be 

 proper to give some explanation of the manner in which they are 

 obtained and the precise lines of the plow which they represent. 

 Fio;. 48 represents the instrument by the aid of which these lines 



m 



I^iff. ^8. 



are obtained. Lines q r, o ^j, etc., are ruled on the horizontal 

 surface two inches apart. The plow to be analyzed is placed upon 

 the table, with the plane of its land side perpendicular to the plane 

 of the table, its sole line at right angles to the ruled lines and the 

 front edge of the mould-board, t, on the line iv m ti; draw the line 

 Im at right angles to ivm, making it as long as the mould-board 



