46 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
Fig. 1. 
Fig. 2. 
Fig. 3. 
ponding with that of fig. 2. It is then to be turned upon its corner 
G as on a pivot, and laid in the position G H I K, corresponding 
with that of fig. 3. In this manner, the side D C, which was for¬ 
merly underneath, will be above, namely, in the position HI; and 
if successive slices shall be thus reversed, they will rest upon each 
other in the manner shown by the sections of the slices P Q R S, 
0 L M N, and GHIK. 
The angle of inclination at which these different slices will na¬ 
turally rest upon each other in the manner shown in the figure, 
will depend upon the proportion which the width of the slices 
bears to their depth ; and that the greatest extent of surface may 
be exposed to the air, the angle of their inclination will be A5 6 . 
In order, therefore, that the slices may be at this angle, the pro¬ 
portion which the width of the slices bears to their depth is to be 
determined ; and this can be done by simple calculation; for it 
can be shown that the width of the slice A B, being the hypothe- 
nuse of an isosceles right-angled triangle, the depth of the slice 
B C, will be one of the sides. Supposing, therefore, the width 
of the sod A B to be ten inches, the depth" B C will, by calcula¬ 
tion, be 7.071 inches. 
If, then, beginning at one side of a field, we shall cut off a slice 
of earth, the entire length of this field, and place in the position 
PQRS, fig. 4, and then cut off a second slice, and place it in 
the position OLMN, and then a third slice, and place it in the 
position GHIK, and so on, the various slices will rest upon 
each other at a given angle, in the manner represented. 
A similar operation is to be performed by the plough. Begin¬ 
ning at the right-hand side of the field or ridge to be ploughed, a 
sod, which we shall now call a furrow-slice, is to be cut from the 
firm ground, raised up and turned over. A second furrow-slice is 
in like manner to be cut from the firm ground, raised up and turned 
over, and so on. In this manner, an entire new surface will be 
exposed to the atmosphere, and the successive furrow-slices laid 
resting upon each other, thus :— 
Fig. 5. 
An essential proper¬ 
ty of the plough is, that 
it shall move in the 
dearth with a steady mo¬ 
tion ; and the giving to 
lit, the form and com- 
I bination of parts neces¬ 
sary for that purpose, 
is one of the main dif¬ 
ficulties attending its 
construction. 
Were it ascertained 
by experiment on the 
plough when at work, 
at a given depth of fur¬ 
row, and in soil of a 
given texture, that a 
cord attached to any point A, fig. 6, and drawn in the oblique di¬ 
rection A B, would so pull forward the plough, that it should press 
uniformly upon the earth at all points, from C to D, so that the 
share should neither tend to point upwards nor downwards, -but 
should move horizontally forward, then it is to some part of this 
line that the moving power should be applied; and further it is 
known from the principles of mechanics, that it matters not, in 
so far as regards the force exerted, to what precise part of this 
line the power is applied. Now, without entering into any mathe¬ 
matical investigation of the principles upon which this line is to 
determined, it is to be observed, that in a well-made plough, form¬ 
ed on the principles pointed out, this line, drawn from the usual 
point of attachment of the draught on the collars of the working 
cattle, will intersect the sole of the plough at E, a little behind 
the setting on of the share, and a little to the right of the plane of 
the left side of the instrument. 
Now, knowing the height at which the point of draught is to be 
attached to the shoulders of the working cattle, let us suppose 4 
feet, and the distance from the point of the share at which the ani¬ 
mals of draught can be conveniently yoked, let us suppose 12 feet, 
then laying off D F 12 feet, and F B 4 feet, and drawing B E, it 
follows that the point at the end of the beam, to which the draught 
is attached, may be placed in any part of the line B E. So that 
whatever be the length which we shall give to the beam, the line 
in question will denote the end of it, or the point to which the 
draught is to be attached. 
r>j g But the angle which 
' ~' v> ' the line E B forms with 
35 the surface, is not, as 
can be shown, con¬ 
stant, but varies with 
the depth ploughed, 
and the tenacity of the 
soil. That the instru- 
C E G D 4 me nt may suit itself to 
these variations, as well as that any defects in the form of its parts 
may be counteracted, and that the line.of draught may be placed 
in that position which is required to pull forward the plough, with¬ 
out there being any tendency in the share to sink into the ground 
or rise out of it, the bridle is fixed at the end of the beam, so as 
to elevate or depress the line of draught as may be required.— 
Should the plough, for example, tend to go deeper into the earth, 
the line of draught is to be lowered by means of the bridle, so 
that it shall form a greater angle BGF; the effect of which will 
be to counteract the tendency which the plough has to go deeper. 
The same effect will be produced by shortening the traces by 
which the horses are attached to the draught and thus increasing 
the angle. In like manner, by means of the bridle, the point of 
draught can be shifted to the right or to the left. If the point of 
the snare tends to turn to the left hand, into the firm ground, the 
line of draught is shifted more to the left, and if to the right hand, 
it is shifted more to the right. This adjusting of the plough’s 
motion is easy, and is performed by the ploughman, until he feels 
that the plough continues to sivim fair, to use his own technical 
language ; that is, until he feels, which he does at once, that it 
continues to move horizontally forward, without any tendency to 
turn to the right or left, or to rise from the earth or to sink into it. 
A well constructed plough of this kind, therefore, needs no wheels 
or other devices, to steady its motion ; the effect being produced 
by merely altering the direction of the line of draught. 
Miscellaneous. 
From the Genesee Farmer. 
CULTURE OF THE RUTA BAGA. 
The following is an account of the method I pursued in the cul¬ 
tivation of ruta baga. I sowed three-fourths of an acre, the most of 
which had been well manured the year preceding - ; soil, a deep 
sandy loam. The land was ploughed three times, and then thrown 
into low ridges, about 20 inches apart. These were smoothed 
down with a noe, and a man followed with a sharpened stick to 
make a light drill in the top of the ridge. The seed was sown in 
these drills with a tin cup, which had two small holes punched in 
the bottom—in the top was fixed a tight wooden cover, to which 
was attached an upright handle two feet in length. The sower 
should walk at an even pace, shaking the cup gently. A boy fol¬ 
lowed with a light roller, which completed the work. Several 
rows were sown on the ridges as they were left by the plough, and 
no difference could be observed between them and the others. A 
rain, however, followed the sowing. Had it continued dry, I 
doubt whether these rows would have succeeded as well as the 
others. I used one pound of seed. This, I am aware, would be 
considered a great deal; but the cost of the seed is trifling in 
