The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1852-04-21
From the New England Farmer.
Intellectual and Rural Delights.

Concluded from last weck.)
cone now to direct practical answer
to your question:" In what does the secret
consist of finding any real substantial pleas
ure in the operations Of farming p Among
other things you name the mono,onous
business of holding the pl6w from esrly in
the morning to late in the evening"" As
TOO commonly conducted, grant that plow-
ins is not particularly agreeable business,
and that you have described i, quite icrsely.
Too many plowmen, having little or no
thought of the true philosophical principles Of
their business, are more anxious to get over
the greatest possible breadth of land in
day, than TO do proper aud The best work.
They cut their furrows loo shallow, ard as
wide as, or wider than the plow can possibly
turn them, and what portion can not bc got
over with the plow aided by the foo, Of the
plowman, rolls hack into its bed again, aud
the next time round it's grass side up =" is
put out Of sight by the " cut and cover 1"
operation, making high ridge of earth
with deep hole beside it. The burrows are
also very ciookcdy cut, and therefore do
not match together at all we'll. The plow-
man twists and turns himself in all manner
Of shapes, is vexed with his plow, ecods at
and whips his team furiousIy, labors and
tugs and sweats away, from early in the
morning TO late in the evening"" and Can
show you as big and as mean days work
as you could wish to see, with hardly rod
square of passably good work in the whole
piece. would not allow such workman
to plow day lor me, il he would do the
work for nothing, and pay ten dollars for
the privilege. But if properly conducted,
say for ten hours in day, which is all tt
mcrciful man will require of his animals Of
draughi, however he may be disposed rs 10
himself. plowiug is one Of the finest and
most exhilarating employments in all the
world.
Did you ever invcsiiga,c the accurate
philosophy of the plow and of plowing ?
Take highly improved modern rlow and
studyit. Look at it as whole implement,
and at its several parts, and reflect what n
world Of profound study il has cost 10 pro-
duce that same implement. What high
mechanical principles it involves, and how
beautifully do they combine together 10
produce an exact and most valuable result
There lie the mould board alone, although
an exact mathematical combination, yet il
is problem for you, Il speak advisedly, }
which, il you have not solved It, its solution
will give you pretty sharp brush, with all
your mathematics Then too n combination
of mathematics, little varied 10 suit each
case. will give you the best form Of mould
board for sandy and gravelly soils, for clay,
and heavy moist soils generally. and lor best
working slubble land. The plow best n
dapted 10 sandy. and generally light, dry
soils, will lay fiat furfows. accurately shut
in beside each other, thus preventing loo
great natural tendency to evaporation, incl
dent to such soils. Your mathematics will
show you that coulter set bevclIing 10 the
land. an inclined Landslide 10 the plow, and a
concave,lined mould. d.board, ,alI cont ibute to
facilitate the laying of flat furrows and tha,
it would be difficult 10 drop the edges dow n
accurately beside each oihor without these
several provisions. The plow bes, adapted
to clay and other heavy or moist soils, cuts
rectangular furrows and lays them at an ir-
clinaiion of 45O 10 the horizon. Your malh-
ematics will show you that this is the besI
position for the burrows of such soils 10 be
placed in. lican be undeniably demonstra.
ted that none but rectangular burrows, whose
depth is to their width as Two is 10 three
ran be laid at an inclination Of 45o; thai
rectangular furrows, whose depth is equa
to two>thirds their width, and which ae laid
al an inclination Of 45o, present, in their pro
jecting angles, greater surface Of soil ts
the amclorstng influences of the Amos
phere, and greater cubcal contents Of sol
for The harrow 10 operate on in raising I
deep fine tillh, or seed>bed, and permit TN
derneaih them a ffeer circulation OF air
and passage from the surface of superiluou
moisture, than burrows Of any other form o.
proportions that are practicable 10 be turned
The plow in The very best manner ndaplet
to the working of uubble lands, will b'
higher in the beam 10 enable il 10 bass oh
structons. and shorter In the turn Of IL
mould. board, than either of the preceding
will have greater depth Of iron in th'
back parts of tho mould-board, which will
lend 10 throw its loose siubble furrow al
over to an inverted position, and leave per
iectly clean channel behind il for the reocp
iion of the next funow. Thus you SCI
there is quito philosophy in plows and il
plowing, which the intellectual farmer il
bound to understand.
However dull and m6notonous the busi
ness of plowing may be to you, it is not a
all so to me. Starting my team a,iield Of ,
} bright springs morning, with my plow al
bright and clean from it's winter quarters,
feel as honest a pride and pleasure at ih,
thought Of my occupation as ! ever dc
when engaging in any employment. strike
out my lands with furrow as straight Al
an air line. After this is accomplished,
guage my plow 10 cut deep furrows, and N
narrow as is possibly compatible with tho
Depth and then take them off the land o
uniformly exact depth and width, never al
lowing a crooked furrow to be seen In m,