The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1838-05-08


NIT, and then cultivating the crop without dis
turbng the sod, with the application Ola light
dressing of compost, land may not only be kept
in heart but wonderfully improved. With one
ploughing in this way, and spreading on one top
dressing of compost manure, of about twenty
cart loads to the acre, and mixing it finely with
poor earth at the surface, l then raised f'co
crops of grain roots and laid the land to grass
In the ordinary way of cultivation, four plough
ings, as many times narrowing, and two dressings
of manure, are considered necessary. nave
then saved three ploughings and as many mar
rowngs, one dressing of manure, and at the
same time have deepened, and permanently i'm
proved the soil, and more than doubled my crop.
Ten wears ago was upon the point ofabandon-
ing some of my old fields in despair. They had
been cultivated in the usual mode of ploughlng,
cross poughing. and cropping, alternately under
the plough and in grass, and had become SO
impoverished shat the products were insufficient
to cover the expense of cultivation. The same
piece of land which gave me one ton of hay,
will now, at the same distance of time, after lay
ing to grass, give me three.
In the cultivation of land which has been
year or more under the plough, nearly the same
course is to be pursued especially when it is in
tended TO sow wheat or rye; plough your land so
as to turn under the rich mould bring to The surface
a portion ofthe fresh earth that has never before
been disturbed by the plough, and mix this well
(if the preceding crops have not been well ma
nured) with light dressing of weil-roted com
post, and from twenty to fifty bushels of Stacked
lime to the acre, and am confident you will
never require Legislative bounty, as an induce
ment to cultivate wheat.
The prevailing difficulty with all ploughs,
with few exceptions is, that the force necessary
in the draught, is not applied directly to the CEN
ire Of resistance. Writers on the subject as well
as practical farmers, have erred in their notion,
that the beam should be placed directly over the
land side of the plough, and that the cut of the
coulter. or the position of the standard, should
lie square, or at right angle with the cut ofthe
share, thinking that if the share and coulter
make an acute angle On the land side, the
plough will ncline to fall to the right. This
would be the tendency, unless the other parts of
the plough are so constructed as to resist and
overcome this inclination. By so placing the
coulter as to form an acute angle with the plane
Of the share, on the land side 1.-THE beam is brought
more directly over the centre of the plough, as is
the case with Prouty g. Mears' improved plough,
and thereby the power necessary 10 move it, is
applied more directly to the centre of resistance,
ant, the force required to move IT. and overcome
this resistance, is Of course less than when applied
more distinctly to the centre of resistance, this
resistance, is of course less than when applied
at one side. greater ease of dranght is not the
only advantage resulting from this improvement.
Another and perhaps greater benefit is its perfect
adoption to the end designed, by leaving the
ground IN the best possible condition. The ac
ute angle, which is made in the land side ofthe
furrow slice, by the peculiar construction of this
plough, enables the ploughman to lay the fur
rows together, like feather. Gagged boards. This
in greensward, is very desirable, as the grass is
thereby prevented from springng up between
the furrow slice much more effectually, than
when the burrows out at right angles. The
grass 10 completely shut in, and will not rise to
injure the crop or increase the labor Of cultiva-
ton. Not only in greensward, but in old ground,
by this plough is very perc eptible. There is no
tendency to crowd the ground into ridges the
soil is taken up, as it were, and turned over, and
left loose, and in the best state 10 derive vegeta-
BILE aliment from the air and to enable the roots
OF plants to penetrate, and stride down in search
Of food.
Another advantage attending the peculiar
construction of Messrs. Prouty & Mears' plough
is it's durability. When the resistance is all up-
on one side of The beam, there must be con-
slant tendency of the plough to the left or land
side: the friction is thereby increased in this
part, and the.wear, of course is greater but when
the beam is placed more over the centre of the
plough, and the resistance, which it has to en-.
counter, is upon both sides Of the beam, its
movements more regular, and the friction equal
in all parts. These are some ofthe peculiar prop
critics of this plough which gives it decided
preference to any other in On comforting