THREE-SHARE PLOW. 
38 
were stabled all the year round ; the cows roamed 
in the paddock in summer, and were stalled as 
occasion demanded; the pigs graced the barnyard, 
and with this stock, straw, and other resources of 
the farm, sufficient manure was made, with the 
additional purchase of a small quantity of lime 
and bones, to heavily manure for the root crops, 
and regularly advance the fertility of the land. 
Thus the gross income from 79 acres of land, 
would not be less that year than $2,500, estima¬ 
ting ten acres of barley at $270, ten acres of oats 
at $380, pork and product of the dairy $100. As 
he worked on the farm himself, his labor probably 
did not cost to exceed $300, which, added to the 
rent, make $1,000, leaving a round profit of $1,500. 
The expenses of supporting a family, wear and 
tear of implements, &c., &c., were probably about 
the same with this young man, as they would be 
with one of our own countrymen, on a farm of 
one hundred or a hundred and fifty acres. Prices 
of produce in England have probably fallen one 
third since we were there; but even then, this 
farmer would be doing a good business. As he 
was of ordinary education, we asked him how 
he got the information which enabled him to man¬ 
age his farm so well. He replied, by the common 
practice of the country, and by books, though 
more by attending their farmers’ Club meetings, 
where the best course of cropping, management 
of lands, manures, improved seeds, stock, and agri¬ 
cultural implements were discussed among a con¬ 
siderable body of intelligent farmers. Thus it is, 
and with enlightened landlords to occasionally di¬ 
rect and instruct, and bestowing more labor upon 
less land, that the English are so much our supe¬ 
riors as a general rule in exact and scientific cul¬ 
tivation, and we fear we must add profitable farm¬ 
ing. 
Being capital stock himself, our friend was suc¬ 
cessful in showing us what we wanted, and as he 
haa given us some good lessons on farming, we 
could do no less than drop a few hints in return. 
He used a double-wheel, awkward, old-fashioned 
plow, weighing little less than 300 lbs. To this 
was attached in line, (one before the other,) to 
drag it, three large, coarse horses, very fat, and 
slow moving. It took a boy to drive them, and a 
man to hold the plow, and they averaged, we be¬ 
lieve, not much over an acre per day. We 
assured him with a lighter and better made 
plow, and smaller, quicker stepping horses, a sin¬ 
gle pair and a man to hold and drive would easily 
accomplish more work than he was now doing. 
We also advised changing the mangel-wurzel for 
sugar-beet, as it would yield full as much per acre 
and was more nutricious, and thought white car¬ 
rots would eminently succeed on a small portion 
of his soil. All these he promised he would adopt 
as speedily as possible; but as English farmers, 
like our own, are slow in changing for “ new¬ 
fangled notions,” we are somewhat doubtful 
whether all our suggestions are yet carried out. 
We hope to cross the Atlantic again one of these 
days, when we shall make it a point to ascertain. 
THREE-SHARE PLOW.— (Fig. 6.) 
Above we give a cut of the Three-Share Plow 
exhibited by Mr. Thorp, at the late show of the 
American Institute, and we hope that Mr. Potts 
and any other of our southern friends who feel an 
interest in the matter, will give us their opinions 
upon its applicability to the culture of the crops at 
the south, and also suggest any improvements 
which may be thought advisable. The sketch 
shows the construction of the instrument so per¬ 
fectly, that it needs little description. It spreads 
2 feet 4 inches wide, and its shares are precisely 
like those of the common plow, only very much 
smaller. We should think it would not weigh to 
exceed 90 lbs., which is a light draft for a pair of 
mules. By passing it once up and down between 
the rows of corn, cotton, or cane, it will completely 
turn up and bury the weeds and grass, and at the 
same time slightly throw the soil between the 
rows, to or from the growing plants, or leave it 
nearly level, as is desired. If it be wished to 
throw more soil to the rows of cane, &c., a one, 
or two-horse plow can be run down on each side 
of the rows, turning the dirt toward them, and 
then follow with the three-share plow. The only 
suggestion which we can make as an improve¬ 
ment to the above, is to add a wheel at the end 
as in the ordinary cultivator. This would make 
the draft easier, and enable the plowman to go 
deeper or shallower in the soil as required. Mr. 
Weird exhibited a four-share plough at the same 
time, but as he did not leave it at the American 
