C THE EQUIPMENT OF THE FARM. 



skim, trench, and subsoil ploughs, single, double, and mul- 

 tiple furrow ploughs, swing and wheel ploughs, one-way or 

 turnwrest, and balance ploughs. And there are ploughs 

 with friction wheels instead of slades, ploughs guided by 

 steerage wheels, and ploughs guided by a pole. It is 

 worthy of note that the ancient British, Koman, Greek, 

 and the modern Indian and Chinese ploughs are all con- 

 structed on the turnwrest principle, and that the Kentish 

 turnwrest now in use is simply an improvement on the old 

 Saxon. Upwards of 1000 patents for ploughs are filed 

 in the Patent Office ; and, as each, on an average, includes 

 several claims, the total amounts to several thousand im- 

 provements of the different parts. 



For light soils frames carrying two or more ploughs are 

 now constructed. The plough invented by Thos. Pirie, 

 Aberdeenshire, may be described as an example. It is 

 supported on wheels, the sole and side plates of the ploughs 

 being dispensed with. The coulters and mould-boards are 

 joined to an angular frame, and by means of adjusting 

 screws can be set at various distances apart for any required 

 breadth of furrow. The wheels are also joined to the frame 

 by moveable levers ; and by means of set screws the plough 

 can be raised or lowered and guided without stopping the 

 horses. The axle of the leading wheel is attached to a lever, 

 with which the ploughman can raise it and set it inwards or 

 outwards as may be desired. The leading wheel runs in the 

 bottom of the previously cut furrow, whilst a wheel on the 

 opposite side of the plough supports the land side. A 

 hind, or rear, wheel is attached to a moveable mould- 

 board, and the position of this wheel and the leading 

 wheels regulates the depth of the furrow slice. Short 

 mould-boards are now preferred to long ones for inverting 



