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PART II. 



MISCELLANEOUS INTELLIGENCE. 



Art. I. General Notices. 



WlLKIE's Wheel Plough, and Liston's Wheel Plough. — I have not seen Mr. 

 Wilkie's wheel plough, or parallel adjusting brake, and I cannot, therefore, 

 give any opinion of them; but, so far back as thejyear 1813, I conceived the 

 idea of introducing a wheel into the body or bosom of the common plough, 

 about 15 in. diameter, to act as the sole, and made several exhibitions of a 

 plough so constructed before numerous scientific gentlemen and practical 

 farmers, including the Dalkeith Farming Society. The result was highly 

 satisfactory, so far as it lessened the draught ; and this was not confined to my 

 own ploughs, but a similar result was produced when the wheel was applied 

 to those of different makers. Of these trials I have, or had very lately, a 

 memorandum of the particulars ; but I cannot lay my hands upon it at pre- 

 sent. From recollection, however, I may state that the average draught of 

 the ploughs was about 3 cwt. 2 qr., taking a furrow of about 10 in. wide by 

 8 in. deep ; but when the wheel was applied to the ploughs, their average 

 draught was reduced one fifth, that is, they were drawn by about 2 cwt. 3 qrs. 

 But notwithstanding this decided advantage, it was observed by some of 

 the farmers as a great objection, that it would require some attention 

 from the ploughman to grease the axle of the wheel [!!]. This objection 

 I thought lightly of, and said so at the tune : the reply was, that they 

 found difficulty in getting men who understood the management of the 

 plough in its simplest form. I, however, made a good many of them for a 

 year or two, and sent several to the West Indies and to other parts abroad ; 

 but they never came into general use. The Rev. Mr. Liston, some years 

 afterwards, introduced into his patent plough a wheel of larger diameter 

 than mine, with a narrow rounded sole : the wheel was placed at such an 

 angle as to remove or lessen both the sole and land-side friction. I made 

 a good many of them for that gentleman ; but, as was the case with my 

 own ploughs, they never came into general use. I am, Sir, &c. — Sam. 

 Morton. Leith Walk, Edinburgh, Oct. 27. 1829. 



The Stone-breaking Machine consists of a rotatory steam-engine attached 

 to a machine similar to a bone-mill, but considerably stronger, which breaks 

 the stones to cover the road at the astonishing rate of 70 or 80 tons in ten 

 hours. The engine is mounted on wheels, so that it can be removed to 

 any part of the road without being taken to pieces. (Newton's Journal, 

 vol. iv. p. 164.) 



Substitute for the Term Bailiff. — I quite agree with you as to the ex- 

 pediency of confining the hateful term bailiff to the law officer so called, 

 and of banishing it altogether from the language of agriculture. Must we 

 choose a substitute from the words farmer, agronome, steward, and inten- 

 dant ? I prefer the last word. — W. October, 1829. 



The word intendant, without a prefix, does not appear to us sufficient ; 

 we prefer the word farmer. When used alone, it is to be understood in the 

 same manner as the word gardener when used alone, that is, generically. 

 Why should not we see gentleman's farmer, commercial farmer, &c, as 

 well as gentleman's gardener, commercial gardener, &c. ? — Cond. 

 Vol. VI. — No. 25. p 



