60 Report on Trials of Plows. 



The wooden plows formerly used were very liable to get out 

 of order by warping, cracking, etc., and continually needed 

 repairs, which were very expensive, and the going backward and 

 forward to the plow-wright, who often was several miles distant, 

 was a very serious tax upon the time of the farmer, particularly 

 in a climate as variable as that of Great Britain, often causing 

 him to lose the proper time for seeding. To remedy this difficulty 

 in some degree, plows were made of wrought iron, as we have 

 seen in Brand's plow. Fig. 17 ; but this material being soft and 

 liable to bend, as well as to wear away rapidly, it became very 

 desirable to find a substitute which should be more riijid and less 

 liable to abrasion. We accordingly learn from Mr. J. Allen Ran- 

 som's valuable work upon farm implements, that his grandfather, 

 Mr. Robert Ransom, of Ipswich, who seems to have been almost 

 as successful in making improvements in agricultural implements 

 as Sir Richard Arkwright was in cotton machinery, olHained a 

 patent for making plow shares of cast iron in the year 1785. Mr, 

 J. A. Ransom very justly remarks that this circumstance is Avell 

 worthy of notice, not only as a very important and successful im- 

 provement in the part in question, but as the means of drawing the 

 attention of that individual and many others to further improve- 

 ments in the plow, which were soon after carried into effect. 



Another long step in the improvement of the plow was taken 

 by the same gentleman in the year 1803, Avhen he obtained a 

 patent for case-hardening or chilling shares. When plain cast 

 iron shares were used a little while, it was found that the sharp 

 edge of the feather wore away so that it, as well as the point, 

 became thick and l^Uint. This, as can be easily seen, greatly 

 impaired its efficiency ; it lost its hold upon the ground ; the 

 weeds were passed over uncut, and a great increase of power was 

 required to operate it. Mr. Ransom chilled the under side from 

 one-sixteenth to one-eighth in thickness. This part wears 'inuch 

 more slowly than the upper part. The upper surface grinds 

 iiway while the lower part is unaffected, and heuce the edge is 

 always sharp. The land side of the point was likewise chilled 

 in the same manner, and with the like results. When the share 

 was finally worn out, the farmer himself could replace it at a 

 trifling expense, without the necessity of resorting to a black- 

 smith or any other mechanic, and the shape of the iron is always 

 uniform, which it could not be when the point and feather were 

 tempered b^^ the blacksuiith, guided by hi.s eye alone. 



