Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1875-10-29
Flowing.


the plOwing is done. It is not enough to
turn one furrow after another, and then hsr-
row the land. The soil must be pulverized
and be made fne so the fibrous roots Of plants
can penetrate it in foe net work in search
Of food. This work the harrow will not do,
unless it be the Randall Tor Nishwitz) har-
row, and that will not work on stony land.
The Shares harrow pulverizes well as far as
il goes but its operation is shallow. The
plow must DO its work first. Everything
depends on that. Ii not plowed properly
nothing can be done to remedy the fault.
The furrow slice should not only be turned
well /; it should be crushed or pulverized
while turning. Our meaning can be best
illustrated by an account Of our early expe-
rience in blowing. The late DIR Calvin Hub
bard, father Of the editor of the FARMER,
owned pillow which he priced beyond any
other implement on the farm. 1t was very
large, wooden plow with the mould board
covered with plates Of steel. 1t turned
very wide furrow, very smooth, ran steady
and was easy to hold. The land turned
with that plow never needed rolling. Itwas
turned down fat as before the pillow Glove
the sod.
After several years Of use and admira.
tion of the plow, DR. Hu bbard began to ask
himself the question why his corn grew 50
yellow and small, and why his corn crop
was lighter than formerly. He was eventu-
ally forced to the conclusion that his favor
ite plow was responsible for the fault. The
furrow slice was turned without breaking
its texture, and was nearly as hard after it
was inverted as before. Narrowing pulver.
lied the surface eonly. 1t took all SIMMER
for the corn roots to penetrate the sod. The
'big plow" was laid aside while it was yet
new, and the Warren pillow took its place.
That was good plow in its day. But re.
cent improvements in pows have eclipsed
all former efforts Of inventors in that depart
ment.
There is great variety ofpatterns and
styles Of plOws for accomplishing the same
purpose and different men have their favor
ties, which they regard as The best 1t is
one Of the frailties of human nature to
believe that any improvement over our for
mer methods which we happen to possess,
is the best in the market; when 10 fact
there are many others OF which we have
no knowledge because we have not tried
them, superior to our own. This bigotr y is
not very creditable to farmers.
The attention Of Yermonters has been
attracted to the labors of Governor Holbrook
for the improvement Of plows, because hey
are a Vermont production. His inventions
have not disappointed the expectations Of
farmers, and they merit the high encomiums
they have received.
We had long been hoping for a swivel
plow which would turn iurrow we'll any,
where. And when the Holbrook swivel
plows were put before the public they seemed
to us to be what was wanted and we bought
the No with extra mould board, aud it has
done all the plowiDg on our larm both sod
and stubble for seven years. 1t gave us
entire satisfaction. Hired men sometimes
found fault with it as being hard to hold
: and it must be confessed that they otter
made bad work, 1t is long pillow and is
not turned on aud of easily like short one
A good plowman can run it with no trouble
1t turns furrow we'll on level land or sid'
hill The shape of the mould board is such
being long and convex, with short curve
at tho end, that it slides under the sod lik,
a wedge, lifts it easily at the same time tha
it presses 1t into the segment of a circl
around the convex surface Of the moulC
board as it slides backward. This process
expands the upper surface Of the furrow AM
J opens its texture or "pulls it all apart.
As the furrow leaves the mould board
gives it short twist and sends it home
The whole body of the furrow is groun
- upon itself, pulverized and crumbled, and LEI
very light and porous We estimate saw
, ing Of fifty per cent in narrowing, and
y better seed bed than any amount of harrow
q ing with other plows We have used.
4 Having some twenty acres of old mowin
Of to break and re-seed this fall and bein
d. desirous to keep up with improvements, "
,e procured No 2 A Holbrook swivel plo
to aud have run it by the side of the No Z
at The new pattern, while retaining the for
or and valuable points of the No A, is short'
i'd and much easier plOw to handle and do
I. its work as we'll.
1t is hardly necessary to say that We wr
ut this because we think the farmers who reH
ot this paper desire all the information we CT
er give Of our owD knowledge, and not at Il
ed request or with the knowledge of Mess
is Everett & Small who make the plows. v
ire have never seen plow which, 50 far as
cd could judge by its form, appeared to be al
em to perform what the HOlbrook plow do
ill and yet it may be that others will do
to we'll or better. When we see one do it, I
sty readers Of the FARMEK will hear Of the ia
me The depth Of the furrov must be det
I'VE mined by the soil. There is a great mai
icy for deep plowing. On some land furr
are eight or nine inches gives the best crop.
to the soil of our farm nine inch furrOw wOl
of almost ruin the land. 1t may be desira
md to run the pillow little deeper each year .
as. bring new soil up to the ameliOrating ini
md ences Of the atmosphere, the rains and m