The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1875-05-08

plough, and penetrating much deeper into the
soil. This great hook zrappies with stones that
II would give immense trouble % hand labor 70
loosen from the earth, and turn upon the surface.
When even this cannot dlspJssJs> the obstruction,
a cast Of strong chain Is thrown round u, and at
tached 10 the pullin. wire. Il must then yield,
whatever may be its weight. It the strain be such
n tie steel wire can bear. But the trall-hook
does much more than pail out stones and roots IN
tie work OF reclamation IL thoroughly dlsturbS,
without dispiacing, q considerable depth OF sub
soil. while the plough proper only turns over the
good earth. and when the seed l. sOWn, 1t finds
loose soil below, from which 10 derive AIR and
susteuauce. Another important invention was
made on the field, 10y, we believe, Nj. Henry
Wright, the Dukes private Secretary. All
along, great difficulty had been experienced in
steering the plough straight. Mr.. Wright sug
ges,ed a revolving disc, by means OF which It
could be guided as one guides a bicycle, with
two very clear advantages; the disc would cut
through the turf like a knife in front OF the
coulter OF the plough and where an obstacle Oc-
Cured which was too much for either the disc or
the plough, 1t would rise up, and pass over II,
helping the plough at the same time to do SO like
wise, and leave the difficulty TO be dealt with by the
traIl-hOok. When the field has been thoroughly
plOughed from end to end, the engines are ap-
piled to the task of clearing II Of stones. This
is also done by means Of the two coils of steel
rope. Instead OF the plough, a cradle Is attached,
capable of holding four or five tons OF stones.
When it is filed, one engine drags it to the end
of the field, and with it the wire-Tope Of the
other engine, which then begins to pull, and,
fitting the cradle, drags il back to where a fresh
load ot stones has been accumulated. Many
other ingenious contrivances have been applied
here to the saving OF labor. About two hundred
and fifty men are employed, at wages of Is. Cd.
TO Sc. 2d. a day many skilled artisans receiving
much more. At the cOal-helds, most of the
wOrkmen ale natives of the district, and obtain
higher wages than have ever been paid in Suther-
land.
1t will be seen from these few notes how large
a field Of usefulness the Duke of Sutherland has
opened for himself, and what great changes the
county is undergoing. 1t is often a question,
whether it is well for the nation that vast fort
unes should be vested in the hands of individuals;
but without enormous means, it would be impOs-
sible for the Duke Of Sutherland to embark In
works of improvement such as we have described,
without embarrassing his estate, and possibly cut
ting off the means OF usefulness OF his successors.
Whether they all yield a profitable return, is
happily not a matter of serious concern to His
Grace but in the meantime, he has the ~satistac-
ton of creating new industries in Sutherland,
familiarity with which must influence the fort
unes of hundreds Of his people. He increases
the resources of the county in many ways, gives
wholesome employment to numerous workmen
and their families, and all this by using the
means placed by Providence in his hands for pur-
poses which also serve to indulge his own hearty
love of doing good. There is apparently good
cause for repeating the words of an old traveller /:
. May that family continue and prosper !" was
the pious wish of Pennant, speaking OF the Earls
of Sutherland, when he narrated his famous Tour
In the Highlands, just a hundred years ago.