The Elbert County tribune., 1899-03-09
SOME HINTS
1 ON PL0W|HG

Every farmer thinks he knows
how to pillow. 1t is fortunate that
even the less skillful can stir the
soil enough to grow a crop. It is
unfortunate that so few can plow
~ T' -.ough to raise the best crop
q least tax on himself and team.
We can usually tell whether a
man knows how to plow by his
manner Of walking after or hold
ing a plow. If we SEQ one cling
ing 20 the handles by main
strength and tugging at them with
pure awkwardness, it is safe to say
that he has not learned the art,
albeit he may have followed tho
plow many years.
Two men werc plowing in the
same field, on the same land.
They had plows of the same make
and number, but looking at their
work l noticed the burrows showed
in pairs. One plowman walked
easily, holding his plow without
amy apparent effort. The other
wabbled in the furrow and was
| making hard work of it. When
asked why the burrows turned by
their plows did not lap alike and
leave uniform surface, the
bungler said his plow was no
account. 1t would not stick in
the ground unless he held onto the
bar and pushed. A glance showed
the trouble was not in the plow.
He had taken the doubletrees off
the wagon as they were handy,
and the ether man bad the double
trees that suited and were made
for plowing. We sent him to get
the right doubletrees and found
the trouble was us we supposed.
The plows cut fourteen inches and
the doubletrees should be double
that. The one he had been using
was thirty-six inches long. Tak-
ing hold of his plow and team for
q few minutes we knew by the
feeling Of the plow that it was not
taking enough land to run directly
behind the center of draft, A
change of the draft let the pillow
run level and cut the fourteen
inches and turn tho furrow to
match that of the other plow.
Returning to the field later j
found the man yet Juggling Mt his
pillow, determined to make it dc
cork that would be approved.
We could see from the road thai
he was not letting his pillow ane
team. do as wclI as they might.
He insisted that he must push and
raise the handles; no plow woult
run itself. He was working hare
but doing poor work. lie had
bis hip straps too short and was
taxing his team and himself un'
necessarily. This was adjusted
for him and after showing hin
how easy the work could be done,
he yet insisted there was a differ
ence in the plows.
The next day we found on oul
daily visit to the field that some
thing was not as we had set to-
him the day before. He mac
shortened up his traces, as he sale
horses could pull their load bettcl
to it. We told him that was tru'
so long as he had the line of draf
fright and that was easily pu
wrong by too short or too long
hitch. After adjusting the trace
and testing the plow again to Sc
that it was ready to do the worl
well and easy for man and team
we left with orders to let thing
be as now adjusted. The ma
finally succeeded in plowing
decent furrow, but bis lesson cam
like pulling teeth and he was no
willing to admit his faults in tn
first place. 1t takes as muc
common sense and ingenuity {
plow good furrow as well O
drive locomotive and | furthe
think man should serve an ap
prenticeship between the plo'
handles as well as at the black
smith forge. L. II. Bonham !
Eiald and Farm