14 THE GOSPEL AND THE PLOW 



these villagers we learned that they had little capital, 

 very little equipment, and entirely insufficient food and 

 clothing. Their capital generally consisted of: 



One pair of work oxen, each $10.00 to $15.00 



A wooden plow .65 



A sickle for reaping grain .30 



A native spade for digging .60 



A grass cutting tool .20 



A wooden fork .20 



A thick heavy club for breaking clods .15 



A flat board for leveling ground .50 



A few old Standard Oil tins .50 



A big leather bag, maintenance per year 



A long rope 6.00 



A pulley wheel 1.00 



$25.10 



This list usually represents the number of their agri- 

 cultural implements. The plow is a wooden one with 

 a small iron tip or bar, keel shaped like a boat. It does 

 not turn a furrow, but makes a small V shaped scratch 

 throwing the dirt on each side. This scratch is so nar- 

 row that to plow an acre means going over the ground at 

 least three times ; the distance walked is over fifty miles. 

 A small, improved plow that turns a furrow will do a 

 better job and go only sixteen miles to plow the acre. 

 The ordinary Indian plow has only one handle so the 

 plowman is near enough to twist the tails of his oxen. 

 Seeing this plow one understands why Jesus said, " No 

 man, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back 

 is fit for the Kingdom of God. ' ' If the Indian plowman 

 looks back the plow will not stay in the furrow, but 

 rides out, and fails to accomplish the purpose for which 

 it was made. And that is the point of Jesus' remark. 

 The man who looks back fails to accomplish what he 



