170 POWER AND THE PLOW 



RIGID GANGS 



The solid gang is ordinarily made with from three to six 

 bottoms, with provision for removing one bottom to adapt the 

 plow to harder service. The width of cut is from twelve to 

 sixteen inches for each share, fourteen niches being the most 

 common. The largest size of bottom is often chosen on ac- 

 count of greater clearance between bottoms, fewer beams, etc., 

 and the less time required to change shares for a given total 

 width of furrow. Plows of this type usually consist of an open 

 framework, which is made up of the beams, braces, and tie 

 bars; three or four carrying wheels, the rear one of which is 

 sometimes replaced by a shoe; three or four levers for regulat- 

 ing the depth, steering and lifting the plow; the plow bottoms; 

 and either rolling or fine coulters. Sometimes a seat attachment 

 may be included, also a footboard for the operator. More 

 often, however, he is obliged to walk behind the plows to 

 manipulate the levers. 



Right-hand plows are universal. The bottoms are set 

 obliquely from right to left to afford clearance between the 

 landside of one and the share of the next. The rear wheel or 

 shoe on a rigid gang usually runs in the last furrow next the 

 land and the right-hand forward wheel in the last furrow of 

 the previous round. The furrow wheels may be inclined, 

 or staggered, to offset side thrust, and all the wheels are some- 

 times flanged to prevent side slippage. Where four wheels 

 are used the weight is more evenly distributed than on three, 

 but in uneven ground four points of contact more frequently 

 disturb the evenness of depth. The depth may be regulated 

 by an axle bent in the form of a crank or by raising and lowering 

 the frame on an upright extension of the axle. The levers 

 extend to the rear, where no running board is provided. They 

 are usually of steel, made long, to facilitate lifting. Lifting 

 springs also aid in overcoming the weight. For transport, 



