TRIAL OF GANG PLOUGHS.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 1, Issue 88, 17 April 1880, Page 2

TRIAL OF GANG PLOUGHS.

(From Press*)

Messrs. G. King and Col, agents for Carr and Hobson’s gang ploughs (which completely upset all preconceived ideas of celerity in breaking up the soil), exhibited them on Thursday at work at the farm of Mr. John Overton, of Prebbleton. In these ploughs the handles are entirely dispensed with ; the mould boards are firmly attached to a. moveable or side swinging gang of two or three beams (if double or treble furrow); it has a powerful lever, by means of which the mould boards are shifted from a working to a travelling position, or by the same means lowered again for work. When about to turn corners a slight upward jerk on the lever unlocks the joint, whilst a forward motion brings the ploughshares to the surface, and at the commencement of new furrows the lover is thrown down, and the ploughshares enter the soil. The double furrow plough is drawn by two horses, and the treble furrow plough by, three horses, driven from an elevated perch exactly similar to that on the well-known reapers and binders. The depth of work is regulated by a simple device at the forward end of the beams, and as the draught is direct from [ the work, the carriage receives no strain. It has a single straight axle—the off-wheel running on the top of the first furrow, and is always in a level position, either in work or transit. Both ploughs were tried in a stubble field, where at least a foot of stubble and a dense undergrowth of clover and wqeds had to be contended with, but each plough did its work well. The double furrow, with two horses, turned over a width of 2ft., wdiilst the treble furrow, with three horses, turned over a width of 2ft. Sin. Several of the neighboring farmers were present, and at their request the ploughs were altered from skim ploughing at 2in. depth to a depth of 9in., and they answered the demands made upon them admirably. It was suggested that the ploughs should be tried in grass land. Immediately, with his usual courtesy, Mr. Overton placed a grass paddock he intends breaking up this season at Messrs. King and Co.’s service. The machines were at once removed to the grass land, and here they excelled their previous performance, the various gradations from skim ploughing to full depth work being again gone through, and to the entire satisfaction of all the agriculturists present. One retired farmer remarked —■“ If these ploughs , had been invented before I sold my farm, I’d have stuck to it.” It is intended to give a further public trial of these ploughs near Leeston, of which due notice wall be given. ,

Fruit .Wests. -—A number of Swiss and Germans have petitioned the Auckland Waste Lands Board to open for selection under the homestead system portions of land at Matapoui and Wharanake (north of Wanganui)- They desire to engage in fruit wine culture, and they picked out the lands mentioned after a careful inspection of the country. It was decided to set apart an area of 26,000 acres for selection.