On clay soils, where the ridges must be considerably acclivated, so that the ground may be preserved in some thing like a dry condition, the plough, used for tillage, ought to have a mould-board considerably wider set than is required for light soils, in order that the furrow may be close cut below, and duly turned over. This method of constructing the plough necessarily makes a heavier draught than would be the case were the mould-board placed differently, though, if good and sufficient work be wanted, the necessity of constructing the implement in the way mentioned, is absolute and indispensable. The plough to be used on light soils, or on all soils that admit what is technically called crown and furrow ploughing, may be made much straiten below, and yet be capable of executing the work in a perfect manner. Perhaps on every farm consisting of mixed soils, two sets of ploughs ought to be kept, otherwise proper work cannot be performed. All land ought to be ploughed with a shoulder, a phrase well understood by plough men, though not easily explained; and the advantages of ploughing in this way arc, that, if ploughed before winter, the surface is enabled to resist the winter rains, and afterwards to present a face, on which the harrows can make a proper impression, when the seed process is to be executed. This deserves particular attention when old grass fields are to be broken up; as, by ne glecting it, the harrows often are unable to cover the seed. It is perfectly practicable to plough land with a tolerably broad furrow, say 10,11, or 12 inches, and yet to plough it clean, provided the implement used is properly constructed; but, then, care must be taken that the furrow be of proportional deepness, otherwise it will be laid on its back, instead of being deposited at an angle proper for undergoing the harrowing pro cess.
On the IMPLEMENTS of IIUSBANDRV.
No country in the world is better provided with im elements for executing rural labour than Great Britain; and to this superiority may, in sonic measure, be attribu ted the increased and increasing perfection of agricul ture over the whole island. We have ploughs of all the different kinds that ever were constructed ; and, as for wheel carriages, the variety is immense ; u hitst har rows, and other common implements, of various con structions and dimensions, are equally numerous. But it is in the articles more properly allied to machinery, that the superiority of British rural implements is most conspicuous. Drills, for sowing grain and small seeds with regularity, have been constructed upon principles; and machines, for separating grain from straw, have been invented, and brought to a degree of perfection, which few people expected, when these ma chines were first introduced.
Imperfect labour is a necessary consequence of de fective implements ; but where attention is bestowed in constructing implements, the different processes of la boor, in which they are employed, may, with justice, be considered as perfectly executed, or at least as executed in a better manner, than in those places where attention. to their construction is neglected and overlooked. In former times, the construction of rural implements was left almost entirely to rude and ignorant artisans, whose operations were guided by no fixed principle, and with w horn improvement was left out of sight, the beaten path being only followed. To those, who remember the
ploughs that were used in Scotland, at a period not more distant than thirty years from the present date, or who have viewed many of the implements still used in Eng land for tilling the ground, the justice of the above re mark will appear unquestionable. At this time, however, the remark does not generally apply ; for the true prin ciples, on which ploughs and other implements should be constructed, have recently been ascertained with mathematical precision, whilst artisans have been ena bled to imitate what they had not abilities to invent. The assistance thus furnished to the husbandman has been considerable ; whilst great benefit has flowed to the public, and in particular to the proprietors of land in Great Britain. The husbandman, in the first place, was enabled to execute every branch of work in a more per fect manner, and thus causing the soil to produce great er crops ; and, in the second place, proprietors and the public received equal benefit; the proprietor by an im mense increase of his rent-roll, and the public by an increased supply of the necessaries of life, without which neither manufactures nor commerce could have been carried on so extensively as they have been.
Of the Plough.
The plough is an instrument of such importance in agriculture, that, in all ages, it has held the first place among the implements of that art; nor is there any na tion mentioned in history, who have attempted to culti vate the ground without it, excepting son.e barbarians destitute of every art and science. And even these hzo.c d something equivalent; some turning up the ground ith tliC 110111S Or oxen, and sonic! \Vali other things etpla iy for the purpose. These rude and barbar ous attt n,ps only show the great usefulness of the in strument proposed to be treated of.
mothAli times, the operation of tilling the ground may be considered as wholly performed by the plough, th,ogn of this implement the varieties are num,:rous, the construction of each being in sonic respects analo gous to the kind of husbandry practised, and to the ex tent of mechanical knowledge possessed by the artisan. In ancient times, it would appear that the plough was considered as a rude instrument, requiring little art in die construction, and unworthy of philosophical atten tion. It was judgcd that any thing would do tor execut ing such a clumsy operation as turning over the wound, and that little nicety was required to form an implement which was to be guided and directed by ignorant pea sants. Under these impressions, this usend utensil was, for many centuries, made at random, and w ith011t the slightest attention to principles, as is evident from the difference of power called for alien different ploughs were employed. The kind work performed was equally diversified. In many cases, Me furrow was imperfectly turned over, or laid up; and in others, the under part of the slice was balked, or raftered, in such a manner as to deprive the seeds ~tat were sown of their necessary nourishment. Tne expense of working- defec tive implements was also an evil of magnitude ; it being now sufficiently ascertained, that the improved ploughs may be wrought at one half of the cost which attended the barbarous and cumbersome implements of former times.