12 Next to the Ground 



ing out of the other's way. This is common 

 practice where the land is very big, and the 

 breaking ploughs of the same pattern. 



Very many more right- than left-hand 

 ploughs do the world's work — the ratio is pos- 

 sibly seven to one. Right-hand breaking com- 

 monly begins at the land's edges — thus the first 

 furrow is the longest. The broken ground lies 

 to the ploughman's right. Lands are of almost 

 any shape, but preferably a long square. The 

 plough is driven clear out at each corner, and 

 reset in the unbroken ground. Thus the team 

 is forced to trample the freshly broken ground. 

 When the land is finished, you can see a big 

 trampled cross diagonally upon the breast of 

 it, marking out the corners. In the middle 

 there will be a dead furrow — that is to say a 

 naked one, where the plough cut away the last 

 bit of upper soil, and flung it apart from the 

 furrow on the other side. But neither dead 

 furrows nor trampling matter greatly with land 

 that is to be cross-broken before planting in the 

 spring. Good tilth also requires back-furrow- 

 ing at the margins of the fields — that is to say 

 throwing in several furrows at the outer edges 

 before full breaking begins. This prevents a 

 ridge at the edge. 



It is entirely possible to plough in with a 

 right-hand plough, quite the same as with a left- 

 hand one — but tremendously inconvenient. 



