Class IX.]

HARROWS, ROLLERS, CLOD-CRUSHERS, &c.

The best of the six Belgian ploughs exhibited was that ofMr. Odeurs, which cut the side clean and left the sole level;worked steadily, and was easy to hold. In the turn-wristploughs of Mr. Vaumael, a new principle of turning at theends ot' the land, and of the adjustment of the mould-board,is worthy of consideration. The turn-wrist plough of Mr.Dufour also worked satisfactorily. It is right to observethat Mr. Busby nad applied to his plough the moveablenose-piece invented by Messrs. Kansome. Upon the whole,it is considered by the Judges that the working of theploughs was satisfactory.

Joiix Yilliers Shellev.

It should be remarked that ploughs suited for commonand for deep ploughing distinctly have for some time beenseparately encouraged by the Royal Agricultural Society.There can be no doubt that on most soils it is useful oncein four years, when the root crop recurs, to give the landa deep stirring: if that be thought too laborious, the farmshould, in each field, get once at least, if only once forall, a thorough disturbance. But a common plough isnot suitable for this purpose, since the soil crumbles backinto the furrow. One such deep plough, therefore, asBusby’s should be kept on most farms, to be worked atleisure in winter with four or even six horses.

2. Hairow.

The harrow has been made, I suppose, with squarebars, and therefore straight-set teeth, for as many cen-turies as it lias been used; but it is difficult to make theteeth of such a harrow work always in different tracks,although the harrows are dragged from the corner. Thisimperfection has been remedied within the last few years,in two harrows, to each of which prizes have beenawarded. The teeth being set crosswise, the harrowsthemselves can now be drawn straight.

A third novelty has also been produced and rewarded—Mr. Coleman’s expanding harrow. The bars at everypoint of crossing are united not by a screw, but by aloose pin, on which they work freely. Thus the widthof the harrow cau be increased or diminished, and thetines, according to the state of the land, be broughtnearer together or spread wider apart, exactly like themimic soldiers on the child’s toy. It is true Mr.Coleman’s harrow looks rather cumbrous; but on ex-amination it is found to possess small, almost invisible,wheels, which are easily let down, and serve to movethe harrows from one field to another. This is a furtheradvantage ; for a set of common iron harrows must firstbe separated, and even then are troublesome enough toconvey.

3. Hollers.

Not many years since the landlord was often asked byhis tenant for some old tree to convert into a roller. Thetree roller, when manufactured, had its frameworkloaded with rough materials to give it weight. But itsoon wore and cracked, so as to produce in a year a mostungainly instrument. Sometimes the tree was manu-factured into what was called a cheek-roll, that is tosay, a roll without framework, but with au iron pegdriven into each end, to which pegs the horse’s traceswere fastened. We have now very excellent rollers withiron cylinders, which last for ever; but it does seem thatfor rendering the soil fine their regular form has thisdisadvantage, that they pass so equally over small clodsas merely to press, not to grind them. A more squeezingmotion seems to be wanted. Mr. Claes, of Belgium, ex-hibited a roller intended for narrow round ridges, butwhich seems to possess the germ of this very squeezingmotion which we require. The roller consists, in itsbreadth, of four separate rollers of equal size; these donot work on a fixed axle, but contain a central circle ofiron, within which the common axle lies for the fourrollers to play freely upon.

The common axle rests, in fact, always on the lowersurface of the internal circle of the four rolls, which thusmove irregularly with the freedom desired.

. The roller has, however, been superseded in its func-tion of clod-crusher by the instrument which bears thatname, though we still see farmers engaged in the hope-

less attempt at breaking, by the alternate use of rollerand harrow, clods which refuse to be broken. Thebarley crop of course suffers thereby in quality as wellas in measure.

4. Clod-crushers. Norwegian Harrow.

Mr. Crosskill’s clod-crusher is well known as one ofthe most popular of our new inventions. Its principaluse is in breaking down turuip-land which has been ledoff by sheep in wet weather and afterwards baked by thesun. Notwithstanding its jagged iron teeth, it has beenfound, too, the best presser for young wheat in March,when the soil has been swollen and the roots thrown outby alternating frosts and thaws. Tims applied it alsoarrests the wireworm, and, if it wound the tender blade,the wheat tillers the better. By using it according to itsintention, especially in the preparation of barley-land,we may avoid sowing on cloddy ground, or save threeweeks’ delay of the sowing, and in either case may gainat least one quarter of barley per acre ; thus paying forour implement in the first season. Mr. Gibson’s clod-crusher, now first brought out, is on a different construc-tion, being formed of two rows of very narrow wheels,alternating with each other. Mr. Crossbill's has thedefect of clogging when the soil is moist. Mr. Gibson’sof pressing the ground rather tightly : it is between thesetwo weak points that a choice must be made in selectinga clod-crusher. There is a third implement—the Nor-wegian, or, as it should be called, the Swedish harrow—which neither clods nor kneads, but then it will not press,and is heavier for the horses. 1 should not hesitate tochoose the clod-crusher if I could afford only one suchimplement; but from experience of both in barley sowing,should be extremely sorry to be without the Swedish toolalso, which has been lately much improved by lengthen-ing its teeth, while its draught has been lightened by onehorse in four.

5. Scarifiers, Grubbers , or Cultivators.

Numerous as are the forms of this implement, and it

appears in new forms every year, its full serviceablenesshas certainly not been yet understood. It has been usedaccidentally as it were, and not upon system, whereas, ifit were used upon system, I have no doubt that, impor-tant as are the American reapers, the cultivator wouldinsure to the English farmer upon stock land advantagesquite as great, if not greater, for it would save him nearlyone-half of the entire labour now bestowed on his plough-ing ; but to prove this it will be unavoidable to eutersomewhat into the detail of actual farming. Indeed, ourimplements must of course be judged not merely by theirpower of effecting a certain object, but by the usefulnessof that object when it has been effected. Thus Kilby’sparing plough will peel off the turf from a bowling-greenas even as a web of cocoa-nut matting, yet if that wereall, it might serve the gardener but would not serve thefarmer. It does, however, serve the farmer, because itgives one mode of accomplishing a most valuable newprocess, the autumnal cleaning of wheat stubbles.

In order to prove this great saving, the ordinary courseof ploughing on a common stock farm, according to theusual four-course system, must be shortly stated.

After the wheat crop, the land, being full of runningcouch, is ploughed in the winter, and ploughed again,with other operations, thrice more in the spring, until itappears to be clean, when the turnips are sown. In thenext spring it is ploughed by many good farmers twicefor barley, in order that the sheep-droppings may be wellmixed with the soil, and so the growth of the barley bereudered regular. The third crop, clover, sown with thebarley, gives a year’s rest to the teams until it is brokenup with one ploughing, and the fourth crop, the wheatcrop, is sown. The account will stand thus:—

Ploughings.

Root crop - - - 4

Bailey ----- 2

Clover.0

"Wheat - .... - 1