The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1878-08-29
History of the PlOw.

The history of the plow is remarkable;
the most ancient and simple of machines,
yetit has been almost the last to undergo
improvement. The first plow is supposed
to have been the rude branch of tree,
cut so as to have cleft end, the point of
which, dragged along the surface of the
ground, scraped furrow into which seed
were thrown. 1t soon occurred to the
husbandman that he might relieve his
own labor by yoking an animal to the
long arm of this primitive instrument;
then arose the necessity for handle,
affixed to the back, so that the pillow
might be guided. The strength of the
animal soon wore away or broke the cleft
of the branch, and this necessity gave
rise to the invention of means for attach
ing movable shares, first of wood, and
next of stone, copper or iron, worked to
a shape adapted to the cutting of furrows,
so as to avoid the excessive labor arising
from the plowman's having to lean upon
the plow with all his weight to press it
into the earth. Just such an implement
as these, conjectures indicate, was used
by the Saxons. Some of the facts con-
nected with the history of the plow are
almost incredible. In Ireland there once
prevailed custom of "plowing by horses
tail" The draught-pole was lashed to
the tail of the horse, and, as no harness
was employed, two men were necessary,
one to guide and press upon the pillow,
the other to direct the horse, which he
did by walking backwards before the
miserable animal, and beating it on the
head on either side, according to the d.
rection required. This custom prevailed
for considerable time, in spite of a. law
which was passed in the early part of the
seventeenth century imposing severe
penalties upon persons found guilty Of
"plowing by the horses tail" A paper
in the Transactions of the Society of
Antiquaries of Scotland" speaks of ''the
awkward custom of yoking horses by the
tail, and the driver of harrows walking
backward, with his face directly turned
to the horse which he led" The Rev.
G. Otway says: "In ancient times, all
through the West of Ireland, it was the
practice to work both the plow and the
harrow with horses drawing from their
tails. am assured that it is still (1840)
a part of the Erris husbandry." In 1884,
during the reign of Charles I, the Irish
Parliament passed the following: Act
against Ploughiug by the Tayle, Pulling
the Wool of Living Sheep" "No per-
son or persons whatsoever shall, afte; one
yeare next ensuing the end of the pres
ent Parliament. plough, harrow, draw, or
worke with any horse, gelding, mare,
garren, or colt, by the taile, or shall cause,
procure, or suffer any other carriages with
his horses, mares, geldings, garraus, or
colts, or any of them by the tail; and
that no person or persons whatsoever
shall, after the end of this present Parli-
ament, pull the wool off any living sheep,
or cause or procure to be pulled instead
| of shearing or clipping of them; and if
any shall do contrarie to this act and the
intention thereof, that the justices OF
assize at the general assizes to be holden
before them, and the justices of peace at
their quarter-sessions, shall have power
by this act to enquire of, beare and de-
tern1ine all and every offence and offe noes
done contrary to the present act, and to
punish the offenders which shall do con.
trary to the same, by fine and imprson:
ment, as they in their discretion shall
| think fit"