156 



Report on Trials of Plows. 



The column headed "Per cent of averages" is intended to show 

 the excess per cent of the average draught of each ph)w in the 

 five different soils over the draught of Hart's one wheel Berk- 

 shire, as for instance Eansom's F F two wheel plow required on 

 an average in all the soils nine per cent more power than Hart's, 

 &c. In order to make this point still more intelligible, we have 

 calculated the following table, showing the excess of power per 

 cent required for each plow over Hart's as shown in each kind of 

 soil: 



PLOWS. 



cd O 



3 ^ 



pq o 







Hart's Berkshire one wheel . . 

 Ransom's FF, two wheel .... 



Khig's one wheel 



Rutland Ransom, tvv'o wheels 

 Ferguson's Scotch Swing .... 



Clark's Scotch Swing 



Ransom's Swing 



King's Swing 



Old Berkshire wheel plow... 



00 

 00 

 21 

 21 

 36 

 43 

 28 

 28 

 64 



00 

 00 

 00 

 16 

 16 

 21 

 2i 

 lU 

 21 



00 

 8^ 

 4H 

 33^ 

 58i 

 411 

 33i 

 25 

 75 



00 



431 



30^ 



56i 



52 



431 



301 



111 



56i 



141 



00 

 28^ 

 50 

 64i 



50 

 35| 



78^ 



Averages 



28 



35 



37 



231 



This table will be found an exceedingly instructive one, which 

 we urgently advise every farmer and plowmaker to study with 

 profound attention. It shows that in a sandy loam the difference 

 between the minimum draught (Hart's and Eansom's F F) and 

 the maximum (old Berkshire) amounts to sixty- four per cent. 

 Two horses would thus draw Hart's plow with much greater ease 

 than three horses Avould draw the Old Berkshire. In the loamy 

 sand the excess is still greater; the latter plow would require three 

 and a half horses to do the work that the other would do with 

 two. Alderman Mechi estimates the cost of keeping a horse in 

 England for one year at £39 ($195), and it is no less in this 

 country. If this estimate is correct, a farmer would save at the 

 rate of $292.50 a year by using the lighter instead of the heavier 

 plow. An examination of the other columns of per centages 

 will show the saving which will be effected by the use of each. 

 The table also shows how greatly the economy of cultivation is 

 aff'ected by cohesive soils. The average draught of all the plows 

 in the sandy loam is 250 pounds, while the average draught in 

 blue clay is 661 pounds; hence, while the farmer on the sandy 

 loam is compelled to pay $195 for his power, the farmer on the 

 stiff* clay must pay $515 for cultivaling the same area. 



