Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1881-11-23


that comes most handy, while the best work
can only be done when everything Is per-
fectly adjusted. Few farmers sons are
taught how to plow. They are put between
the handles and then left to learn as best
they may. While visiting the agricultural
college at Amherst we saw in President
Stockbridge's classroom, an old Landslide
plow all in pieces. 1t was not worth, for
plowing, twenty-five cents, but IL was just
as good for his purpose as twenty-five dol
lar plow. His students, before going to the
field, were taught in the classroom how to
make plow, or, at least, how to set one up,
and how to adjust it to the team and TO the
work desired. They were told why the
iron work Of an ordinary Landslide plow is
not set in direct line with the beam, but
partly across 1t, the point towards the un-
plowed land, because otherwise, with the
length of yokes and double trees in common
use, the plow would fail to take sufficient
furrow. The farmer who tried new plow,
left at his farm by an agent and who
worked with it all day without discovering
that the clevis pin was on the near outside
of the beam, thus throwing the pillow away
from land and vexing him most severely, was
probably not one Of Professor Stockbridge's
pupils. And yet this is not a solitary case
of laundering. We have known pretty good
farmers to nearly wear out a plow, before
learning the use of some Of its most impor-
tant features.
According to our experience and observa-
tion, if ten good swivel plows were put into
the hands of ten farmers who had never
used swivel plow, nine would fail to prop.
erly hitch them to their teams, unless spe.
cial instructions had been given them by
the agents. The most common failure is
from using too short yoke or double tree,
bringing the near and off animal too near
together. So long as the furrow animal
keeps his place, every two inches added to
the length Of the yoke carries the plow one
inch further towards the land, and so cuts q
wider furrow. A plow drawn behind four
foot yoke will take furrow fifteen inches
wide, instead of twelve inches, If drawn by
a yoke three and half feet long, the bow
holes in each case being at the same dis
tance from the ends. A good two cattle
plow, like the Matchless No. 9 A, Centennial
No. 3, / X l. No. 8, Charter Oak 100, and
others we might name, should take burrows
at least twelve inches wide on the average
but If the yoke or evener behind which
they are drawn is six inches too short, then
they will lay out but nine inches, furrov
far too narrow for these plows, and conse
quently poor work must result. The furrov
slice must be wide enough and deep enough
TO keep the plow balanced between the fur
row and the unplowed land. 1t is this losi
of balance that makes it so difficult to turn
the last or clearing out furrow, in Landslide
plowing.
$50 to most enquirers for the best swive
plow we are inclined to answer, first let III
know if you can hitch up and hold any plov
as 1t should be hitched up and held. Have
you learned the first principles of plow CON
struction2 ? The truth is, manufacturers o.
swivel plows have not had so much diffic t,
in making properly-shaped mould-boards st
they have in setting up their plows 30 tina
they could be used by such men and team'
as would be likely to hitch to them. Th'
manufacturers of the Matchless plows, BY
their published circulars aud directions for
using, have done perhaps more than any
other firm to educate farmers up to the us'
of swivel plows, and this may be one of the
reasons why these plows have so long helt
their place, in the opinion of many, at thu
head of this class of farm implements.
"One writer asks if there have been an,
important changes or improvements mad'
in swivel plows, within the past year O.
two. To this question we can answer un
hesitatingly, yes. The Matchless plow ha
been greatly simplified, improved and cheap
ened within the past year. The complicated
and expensive hinge cutter has been dis
carded, and in its place, plain, steel outtel
is set in the middle of rocking beam
which throws the cutter in line of draugh
at each turning of the mould-board, making
the plow both simpler aud stronger. The
Centennial plow, we believe, has been fu r
nished with hard-metal mould-board. Th
TX lis a new plow, and when used il
soils to which its long, easy-moving mould
board is adapted, one is apt to think he ba
really found the plow. The 1876 is a ney
swivel in both steel and chilled iron, and i
good plow. The Syracuse swivel, whicl
was liked so well by those who saw it worl
at the Pine Hedge farm trial last fall, is
plow that promises well, but the mauufac
turers are still at work perfecting it in SOM
points, before pushing it upon the Easter
market. 1t is not unlikely that the iror
and steel beams will both be changed TO
wood beams before New England farmer
will be suited with 1t. One popularity o.
this plow has been that it takes land st
freely that shorter yoke and evener il
required than are in common use.
"Another new plow whose merits deserv,
that it should be more known is the NORTH
American made in Barre, Vermont. Th,
prominent feature in this plow, which
makes it unlike any other, is the movable
clevis under control of the man at tn
handles. BY moving short lever, the Gle
Wis can be thrown to the right or left of tn
line Of draught, and thus force the plow t.
take whatever width Of furrow is desirable
As the one great difficulty in using swive
plows has been to govern the width of fur
row, 1t will be seen that this device mus
add much to the popularity of this form o.
plow. 1t is not improbable that other i'm
provements may yet be added to all the
plows named, but either If put into soils Il
which they are adapted, and held by plow
men of some experience with swivel plows
will do work that will be worth as much t,
the farmer as any of the old-fashioned land
side plows."
A Correction.
Our printers are apparently trying to i'm
peach our yeracity. Two weeks AGO W.