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 follow 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 



