The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1909-10-08

midst. We all ,,o him homage, even
though perhaps unconsciously. More
attention is paid to his demands than
TO the wants Of any other artisan, for
on his labors we depend more largely
tor our daily sustenance than from
any other source. Another phase that
has perhaps not occurred to many Of
us is the fact that TO the farmer be-
longs the distinction Of having the
only occupation given to man direct
from the hand Of God. Any other
line Of work is the device Of man.
The farmer is veritably the bone and
sinew Of our nation. Other nations
have advanced and prospered or
waned and died according to the
progressiveness and Importance Of
their agricultural pursuits. So long
therefore as there are hungry mouths
to be fed, just so long will the farm
ing industry be the controlling infu-
ence in determining the Importance
and rank Of every country-large or
small.
The Evolution of the Plow.
No tool is more important to the
demand Of the farmer than the plow.
The reaper and binder are both higa-
ly important in the harvesting of the
crop, but without plow the crop
would be extremely limited. Like
railroads, reapers and binders could
be dispensed with indefinitely, al
though it would seriously handicap
the farming industry as now carried
on-with its improved methods and
tools-in fact, it is a necessary ad-
junct, but like railroads, they have
not always been with US. On the 9TH
er hand, the plaw has been in exist
ence for centuries-in one form or an
other, from the time Of the forked
stick. throughout the various periods
marking its many and varied in
provements. TO read or be told about
tie wonderful achievements reached
BY the pioneer plow and implement
manufacturers sounds like a romance
rather than Il chapter from contempc-
raneouS history In America. progress
in the development Of the plow was
Slow during colonial times owing to
the narrow policy Of England in dis
couraglng or prohibiting altogether
the establishments Of factories. The
manner of making a plow a century
ago was remarkably crude, judged by
modern standards. In the language
Of Gould: "a winding tree was cut
down, and a mouldboard hewed from
it, with the grain Of the timber run
ming as nearly along its shape as it
could we'll be obtained. On to this
mouldboard, TO prevent its wearing
out too rapidly, were nailed the blade
Of an old hoe, or thin straps Of iron
or worn out horsesloes. The Landslide
was Of wood, its base and sides shod
with thin plates Of iron. The share
VS. Of iron, with a hardened steel
point. The coulter was tolerably we'll
made Of iron, steel edged, and locked
into the share nearly as well as it
does in the improved lock coulter Of
the present day 1885,. The beam
was usually straight stick; tie han
dies, like the mouldboard, split from
the crooked trunk Of a tree, or as
often Gu: from its branches, the crook
ed roots Of the white ash being the
favorite timber for plow handles III
the Northern States. The beam was
Sc: at any pitch that fancy might die
tate. wiki the handles fastened on at
almost right angles with it. thus
}.:":::E- tie plowman little control
over his implement, which did its
work in a very SLOW and most imper-
feet manner
1t must be remembered, however,
that in colonial times the land under
cultivation was very largely 'new
ground,' or land recently cleared Of
timber, with a porous soil which was
easily penetrated and stirred up. It
had neither the sickness nor ten
dency to bake, Of clay land which
has long been under cultivation,
nor the impenetrab.e network Of
lcathery grass roots which made the
hr"o!::;"g - virgin prairie soil 50 dif-
r.. :. Ia j.; :. ..I ills was >.D:.-