METHODS OF PLOWING 115 



century were plows with iron points used to any 

 extent. These plows were made by local black- 

 smiths in different localities and were thus ex- 

 tremely variable in style and in value, according 

 to the skill of the blacksmith. Greater uniformity 

 and a decided increase in the value of plows re- 

 sulted from the discovery of how to make plow- 

 shares of cast iron, in 1785, and of case hardened or 

 chilled shares, in 1803. 



Early American Plows. As late as the begin- 

 ning of the nineteenth century the plow commonly 

 used in this country was made mostly of wood, the 

 mouldboard and point being partially protected by 

 worn-out horseshoes and other scraps of iron that 

 were nailed upon them. It was often about twelve 

 feet long and required eight to ten oxen to draw it, 

 and one man to ride upon the beam. A good cast 

 iron plow had been made by Charles Newbald, an 

 American farmer, and patented in 1797, but it never 

 became popular solely because of the prejudice 

 against the innovation. Farmers said that cast- 

 iron plows "-poisoned the land" and "caused 

 weeds to grow." By 1810, however, most of the 

 prejudice against iron plows had passed away and 

 they came into common use. These early cast 

 plows, however, were mostly made of one piece, 

 and when the point was dulled the whole plow was 

 useless. The next step was to provide inter- 

 changeable points so that the plow could be easily 

 repaired. 



It was not until near the middle of the last cen- 

 tury that plow makers clearly comprehended the 

 chief function of a plow to pulverise the soil. 

 Hitherto their efforts had been directed mainly 

 toward making a plow that would invert the soil 

 and so bury trash. The early plowshares had 



