Report of the Judges. 



249 



characteristic was its pvilverizing power, and the soft, velvety feel 

 of the furrows under the foot which had been plowed with it. 



Burch's plow was a very peculiar one, and was quite novel in 

 its construction. The leading ideas sought to be embodied in it 

 are lightness, strength and cheapness. We have no drawing of 

 this plow, but will try to describe it as well as we are able. The 

 beam is of cast iron, strengthened by a frame work of wrought 

 iron rods. A hook cast on the rear end of the beam holds a brace. 

 An iron bar, six inches in advance of the hook, projects laterally 

 on each side of the beam, another bar of the same size is placed 

 on the front end of the beam. One-half inch rods are stretched 

 between these cross-bars, parallel to the beam; are carried round 

 through the front bar, and connect in the middle \\ inches from 

 the front bar. At either end l|-inch hooks are inserted, which 

 hold the head block to which the clevis is attached. One foot in 

 advance of the first mentioned hook is a horn. Nineteen inches 

 in advance is a pair of straps curving laterally outward, down- 

 ward and backward. The coulter perforated through the shank 

 is held by this rod passing the ends of these straps. The coulter 

 can be shifted laterally on this rod, and the upper end catches in 

 the horn on either side of the beam. The coulter is spatula-shaped, 

 nine inches long and three inches broad, sharpened on both sides. 

 We give a figure of share: 



J^/cf. f23. 



It will be seen that the share has on its under side a brace or 

 strengthener of the point which is cast Avith it. It extends through 

 a slot or cavity of the mould-board, back along the two wings or 

 prongs of the point, its object being to give strength to the point 

 and allow of its l)cing made of hard iron, which makes it much 



