The Wilmingtonian, and Delaware advertiser., 1827-07-05
THE PLOUGH.

MS instrument mas nolu Inc nTSt pIdIe
among the supplements OF agriculture III all
ages. Noah cultivated the vine and made
vine Immediately after the flood, but II is
supposed that grain was first cultivated on
the banks ofthe Nile, in Egypt. The inSen-
tion OF the plough must have been nearly CO.
eval with the raising of grain. "Tht plough"
says Jahn, in his Biblical Archaeology, was
nothing mare than stuIt limb of a tree,
from which projected another shortened
and pointed limb. The further end OF the
longer branch was fastened to the yoke, and
u handle was added BY which the plough
might be guided" Mr.. Loudon says the
plough originally used, was of the PICK
kind, ,--and he gives fsure Of une or an an
cent medal dug up at syracuse, which re
sembles pickaxr. The letter \ (alpha)
| is supposed to have It's shape from the
| plough; in the most ancient form OF the
Greek A, one branch ,the beanil is twice
| as long as the o'her (the sMrc.l Another
ancient plough ti6urea by NJ. Loudon Is IN
the form of Il sharp toed boot. the holder "a
femalr) has one hand on tho Top at she bopt,
aud beam is inserted a litt!r above the i'll
step. The Instrument nos Used tor plough
| inc by the nations cf the east, is similar 20
those of the ancicnts Mr.. Loudon remarks
I that the state Of agriculture and other arts,
and Of machinery, IN the ea,tern countries.
/ was not materially different in the time Of
I Moses $500 years ago, from what Il is IN
/ the same countries at the present day. In
\ Persia the lower part o. the plough is a
long wedge sh sped thing, and the beam AVID
! handle are inserted in thctop OF thls block;
4 in some districts the diver stands Oh the
wedge or sharrs. In Hiuiostan the ploughs
are of the stick shape and are but little bet
ter than pointed sticks. l he figures OF
some Of them resemble the brush Soythe o'
the American farmer, the blade bting used
for il share. and the handle for BEAM
thy are guided by piece Ot wood attached
to the beam near the share.-Ihe Eindot
p,ourhs merely scratch the earth, and Il
accomplish the work Of pu,verlzaton, the
ploughmsu repeats the operation from five
TO fifteen times. The Chinese pnughs ar,
simple, and some of them are drawn by wo
men.
The ancicot Greek plough, described BY
lIesiod, consisted Of three parts-a los,
} block sh4rpened at the point; draught
pole attached obliquely to the upper part o
the block, and extending TO the yoke; ant
plough tail to direct the implement. fastened
in like manner and extending back, 4
plough of similar construction is now use
III Sicily, l he plough vt the modern Treek
& has a crooked share shaped ike the claw q
+ an anchor; il is only a continuation Of TIL
, soping handle, which is large and strong
The most ancient plough used by the r.
mans, was Of the simplest form. III III
days OF Virgil, this implement had becom
more complicated aud efficient They ha
G ploughs with and without mouldboards
with and without couIters: with and withou
,u,a p,it arI
: shares. The beam was fastened 10 the yoke
n like our cart pole. The Romans did nc
n plough their lands in beds or ridges. as W
S do; but the cattle always rctnrn in the sam
: furrow. The plough commonly used ha
: no mould-board, and this may tie rcmarke
of the ploughs of most ancient and som
+ modern nations