ON PLOWS. 33 



In the performance of this work the plows of Ruggles 

 ^ Co. were held by Mr. P. Tapley, of Danvers. The 

 plows of Prouty & Co. were held by Mr. Wheeler, of 

 Concord — excepting Nos. 9 and 11, which were enter- 

 ed by their respective owners, and held by Mr. James 

 Wilkins, of Middleton. As so much depends upon the 

 skill of the person holding the plow, the committee were 

 at a loss to know what proportion of the merits of the 

 work was to be attributed to the plow and what to the 

 plowman; — and as there appeared in some instances an 

 effort to enlarge the work, beyond the natural powers of 

 the plow, the committee requested the competitors, 

 each of them, to produce two plows, one of large and one 

 of medium size, to be tried on a subsequent clay. The 

 examination of these plows took place on the 24th of 

 October, on land favorable for the experiment, a grass 

 sward that had been mown two years only, free of stones, 

 with a gravelly subsoil. By direction of the committee, 

 the plows were adjusted by their owners — the smaller 

 size to turn a furrow 12 inches wide and 7 inches deep 

 — the larger size to turn a furrow 14 inches wide and 7 

 inches deep. The furrows were turned of the width re- 

 quired, varying in depth from 6|- to 7J- inches. The 

 plows were held by members of the committee. The 

 power applied by three yoke of oxen, as indicated by the 

 dynamometer was nearly as follows, viz: 



MEDIUM SIZE PLOWS. 



1. Winslow of Danvers, 462 pounds. 



2. Prouty & Co. of Boston, 425 " 



3. Ruggles & Co. of Worcester, 412 " 



4. Howard of Hingham, 412 " 



LARGE SIZE PLOWS. 



1. Winslow, 512 *' 



2. Prouty & Co., Sod A. 487 " 



3. Ruggles & Co., Eagle No. 3 425 " 



4. Howard, 450 



In the last experiment Prouty &. Co's. sod A. was the 

 same plow marked No. 15 on the first day, and which 

 then indicated a result more favorable than any other 



