Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1849-11-28
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
Origin of the I,Iougb.

10 Understand Its form and origin, ii is necessa
ry 10 Dear IN mind that the plough undoubtedly
| substituted instrument, intended to accomplish
more expedtiousy, on larger scale, by means Of
amman dTaught, that which would, in the first in
stance, be the work Of simple tool used by the
fand In this country we should at once pronounce
that tool to be the spade but il we 90 no further
of than the shore of Spain and Portugal. we shall
DO Inducedto pause before award the palm of an
tiquty TO that implement. The city Of Cadiz was
colnoized at very remote perod, from the eastern
shore OF the Mediterranean, by the Pbnnicans. No
district Of Western Europe claims SO high pedi-
gree in regard 10 the useful arts the coast of tho
Peninsula, reaching from Vigo to the Straits of Gil
ordliar; and there we fine that the implement OF
sInglehanded cultivation is not the spade but what
we Should describe as sort of hoe, with very
long blade. With this the workmen cleave the
ground, using IL as we DO the pick axe dragging to-
wards HIM the broken soil ; as he stands on which,
The tTeading OF his foot helps i'm dry climate To
o,eah me ciOds as they are turned away from the
Landslide" rs the farmer would call it, Ii is oh
Vious That this mode Of cultivation would not suit
moist climate like own, as the ireadinp would
inJure instead OF assist The work of coinmnuion
me Toftuguse, Who got II through the Phencians
from the East, have IN turn carried il to their own
Colonies, where il may be seen i'm Madeira the Br.
z;s, Tie West lndes, and the settlement OF
MACAO, IN China, as the common instrument of til
,age, INST as the spade is with us. have often
been surprised when watching its use both in Por-
'ugai and Madeira, at the efficiency with which il
performs It's task tearing up the soil TO the depth of
TWO, and even three, feet. Ii isan instrument with
one long blade, but bent to acute angle with
the blade OF the pick-aXc and sometimes connected
with IT 10y a cross bar Of wood or ron reminding
one OF the capital letter A, with one leg shorter
IMAM the other a comparison worth bearing in mind
Tor reasons that will presently appear.
In the Egyptian paintings and heroglyphics In
the museum, The object consistently occurs both by
iiseN md In the hand of the workman. Now let
us Imagine him, Tired uf the slow progress of tear
ing up the soil by hand with this implement TO
conceive the idea of yokng a pair OF oxen (f,r
horses were never used in ancient agrculture) to the
end of the handle, and making them drag it along
the field, tearing up sort Of turrow as II goes; he
himself following, and holding it at the point
where the blade and handle join. The oxen would
In this case, only be doing more quickly and on
larger scale what the workmen had been doing
slowly, though with more and finish. The
instrument would tear up the soil as it went, and
throw II In irregular humps both sides the
wotkmen, however, would desire that it should
throw the soil on one side only, in order TO leave
clear trench 10 receive the next fuTrow slice in
ing back he would soon find it convenient, howev-
or, 10 give a twist to the blade of the instrument
so as 10 make il cast out The furrow slice on one
side. Now picture the yoke Of oxen pulling at the
end OF the long handle, the man holding the instru-
ment by the apex, extended out little 10 give him
more leverage and command of steadyng it, the
blade twisted obliquely, SO 10 cut forward and
press on the soil Sideways, and the little cross
bar sharpened as 10 cut the soil in advance, in
stead Of being impeachment; and we have at
once the rude elementary form of the Egyptiin
pough-:he same instrument used by the Iy clan
peasant to this very Time, and containing the skel-
eion of the machine, from the first that ever was
invented, down 10 the latest "new and improvedo
Scotch or English plough of the present day.