The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1874-12-10
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Tbere are three principal things
necessary to good plowing-first, the
ability TO properly guide a team +;
second, knowledge and tact to ar
range tho pillow to the work in hand !;
and, third, IN intelligence in gaug-
ing tho furrow slice and properly
turning the furrow. These being
learned the rest isasy.
; The g1stess difficulty With pillow.
men is in laying out and finishing the
lands. This being properly under
stood, the act Of blowing becomes
simple enough. LEX us give. one
easy, efficient and ordinary plan =
Get : line Of light stakes across the
field ed gauge tie seinaa 50 that. when
placed on the beam handle of the
pillow, at the point where it is grasped
BY tho hand. the team being in mo.
ton. they will just bear kindly on the
bits Of the horses. Place the team SO
that the line Of vision will be over
the mold-board Of the pillow and be-
tween the horses to the stakes. Set
the pillow 50 that it will turn q furrsw
from one-half to three-quarters the
depth the land is to be plowed; grasp
the lines with two fingers Of the left
hand, at the near or left side of the
handle, 50 that, when the rein is pull
ed straight back, there will be lever
age enough against the handle with
the off rein to draw both alike.
Thus, pulling slightly to the left will
swsrve the team to the right, and cas-
ing on the rein wiz bring them to the
left: A steady rein will. keep them
straight; AID, however fresh tho team
may be, if steady, no trouble will be
experienced in keeping them in q d.
rect line to DO good. work. There, is
no other plan that We have ever
tried by which = team is under so
good control. Some practice ia re-
quiped by the plowman to do good
work, but less than BY any other
plan, not even excepting the Irish
way Of srasring a rein in each hand
while holding the pillow.
Keeping the eye directly along the
stakes, seek to 80 pillow them. down
that they shall fall sideways. Upon
reaching = stake, do not stop but con-
tinue to the end of the furrow.
Bringing the team directly about,
gauge tho pillow to cut the full depth
you wish to work. Turn the next
slice and the previous one into the.
furrow already opened, stopping a,
each stake to place them for the next
land; aud thus proceed until you
have reached the starting point.
Then go once more about, drawing
two more burrows. An ordinar,
plowman may then be trusted to
finish two-thirds or three-quarters o.
the land.
In blowing the lands after they are
laid out, the lines, without any deteri-
nent may be carried around the hips
Of the plowman but if the team be
fairly trained, they may be lightly
held. with two fingers Of the left hand,
or, even be allowed to rest upon, the
handle, which leaves the body entire
ly free; and it is the motion Of the
body a. much - anything else that
assists in doing perfect work.
Each bolt about the pillow should
fill the holes, and every nut should
be drawn tight. The beam should be
in direct line of draught, so that,
when the team is going forward, The
plow will cut its ordinary furrow with
the guide pin in the centre hole OF
the beam, and, when the side of the
plow is running level, the furrow
slice shall be turned naturally and
perfectly in the preceding furrow
If this be carefully attended to, any
intelligent man can be taught in hall
a day on clear land, to do fair work
in blowing, by instructing him in
holding the pillow, gauging and turn.
ing the furrow, and in bringing the
team and pillow about at the ends.
1t Is even more difficult to finish 4
land neatly and we'll than to lay i,
out. In laying. it. out the principal
thing is to see that the team draws
even, and walks directly forward
Not only must this be observed, but
having = strip equal to two furrow
slices, the pillow should be gauged t.
take : :fafr.ww only two-thirda the
usual depth. Having turned one o,
the burrows thus, re-adjust the pillow
to the ordinary gauge, and turn the
f1t furrow, making no balks. If i,
be necessary to clean the furrow 70,
drainage, the plow may be passed
again, back and forth, leaving ,th<
centre full Of mellow earth, through
which the water will percolate read.
lily.
Excellence in blowing consists Ill
laying out the lands, and theteafte,
keeping the burrows perfectly straight :;
in having them of uniform thickness,
and in laying them in such manner
that they may best continue permea.
bio to tho cir, in perfectly covering
weeds and trash, 50 that they may
not interfere with tho subsequent
workings Of the crops; in SO varying
the implements that they may do as
perfect work as possible, whether in
mellow soil, in stiff clays, among
rubbish or weeds, in stiff sod or or