Ploughing 13 



At least with teams broken to a haw-lead, har- 

 nessed without breeching, and governed by a 

 single line, which runs to the leader's bit and 

 is held in the ploughman's left hand. Middle 

 Tennessee plough-teams are so harnessed and 

 driven. Draught beasts working double, be 

 it understood, are distinguished as " nigh" and 

 " off" horses. The nigh horse works on the 

 left, the off horse on the right, and either to 

 plough or wagon the nigh horse always leads. 

 When draught-beasts hear their driver shout : 

 " Gee up there ! Gee ! Gee ! " they know it 

 means pull to the right ; when the shout is : 

 " Haw-aw ! Whoa-haw ! " they know they 

 must pull to the left. In a three-horse team 

 there is properly but one guiding mind — that 

 of the leader. The off horse and the middle 

 one ft)llow his initiative — their bridle-reins, 

 indeed, are linked to a ring in his hames. If 

 they do not step with him, they are tied back 

 — and if they try to run around him, a favor- 

 ite trick with youngsters half-broken, the bear- 

 ing-stick comes into play. This is a light 

 stick swung a little below the recalcitrant's bit, 

 and running on to the leader's hames. 



A team can be hawed around, that is turned 

 to the left, by little more than a steady pull 

 on the line. To gee it around takes five times 

 as long, and ever so much more trouble. First 

 the ploughman must by jerks and cries make 



