Year: 1878

Under the above heading, S. f. Todd,
an expert in agricultural mechanics)
writes:


The correct test of good blowing con.
sists in adjusting the plow and the traces
in such 4 manner that the implement
will glide along smoothly. When the
plowman must exert even a small amount
of strength to hold the plow, he may rest
assured that the implement is not made
according to the correct mechanical
principles, or that the clevis is not pro.
perly adjusted, or that the traces, or the
draft-chain, should be shortened or made
longer, or that something is wrong.
When everything is of the right shape
and adjustment, the plow will tell that
fact by the manner in which it runs.
Were my eyes blindfolded, | sheuld
experience little difficulty in finding the
proper adjustment of beam, clevis and
wheel, length of traces and length of
whifletrees, for the reason that the touch
of the handles will always indicate what
is right and what is wrong


When a plow is received from the
manufacturer the beam seldom stands
in the true line of draft with the face of
the land side. Sometimes the correct
line of draft is parallel with the face OF
| the land side and in some instances the
proper line of draft will be trihe to the
right or the left of that line. Now, let
us hitch to new plow and note some of
the essential requisites. 1t is proposed
to plow sod ground to given depth of
seven inches. We want the furrow slices
as straight as line, and the edge of each
one tapping beautifully on the margin
of the previous one. In order to have
the furrow slices turn easily and uniform
ly, the pow must be adjusted to cut
! broader than the depth. There is no in
variable rule for regulating the breadth
of the furrow slice, when the depth is
given, tor the reason that some plows are
80 constructed that they never can be
made to turn satisfactorily, when they
are driven more than four, FIVE, or six
inches deep. Other plows will turn the
furrow slices beautifully when driven
ten inches deep, provided the slice is not
80 wide that the plow can not break it
all loose from the subsoil.


We secure the whiffletrees to the clevis
The double-tree should not be
over two feet and six inches be-
tween the points where the single
trees are attached for the reason that,
if the double-tree is one inch too long (or
If the ox-yoke il too long,) the draft will
haul the plow too far "to land" so that
the plowman will be obliged to exert
more or less strength to counteract
that unnatural tendency of the plow.
/ If the don hla traa ia too lnnU Lot tho
single.trees be placed farther toward the
middle. When two horses or mules are
standing side by side. one in the furrow
and the other on the unplowed ground,
so that they do not lean against each
other, the distance from the centre of
one back to the other will represent the
correct length for making the double
whiffletree. Next, let traces be ijusted
| to such a length that when the single
trees drop suddenly to the ground, they
will not strike the heels of the team.
This will always be found reliable rule
for securing the correct length of traces.
Never give traces greater length than
this, If it is desirable to have team work
with the greatest possible ease. Suppose,
tor example, that the double.tree, or the
ox-yoke is ten feet long, where will the
plow run Suppose, also, that the draft
chain, or the traces, are twenty feet in
length, why will the team be required to
exert more strength to draw the plow
than il the traces were so short that the
whifiletrees would just clear their heels
Any intelligent school boy can readily
answer these questions.