THE HOWARD DIGGER PLOUGH

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1867, 14 June 1888, Page 2

THE HOWARD DIGGER PLOUGH

— — ♦— A trial, under the auspices of the Ash* burton A. and P. Association, of tbe Howard Digger Plough, was held at tbe farm of Mr L, Markey to-day. This implement, for which the advantage! claimed are many and great, fa a novelty m this colony and It is natural, therefore, that considerable Interest should be taken m the result of the , trial. The work done by the Implement, Is not, as ought be Inferred from its name, digging m the sense usually understood by the term, but the reaults achieved are claimed to be equal to spad cultivation, developing the fullest fertility of the soil with, of oourae, yields Increased correspondingly to the benefit derived by the new method. The plough is of the levee pattern, and Us principal difference to the ordinary doable-furrow plough consists m the shape of the tnouldboarcb, which are shor.t and curved m (be opposite dlregtlan' to those of other ploughs. Qn the wing of each mouldboard fs an adjustable projecting plate, the object of which is to brqafc qp any stiff lurapij which may come uo« broken off the moqldboard, but m land of a friable nature this attachment is nqt called into requisition. In front of each, of the mouMboarda i*b a small skim plough, oonaletlng of a share and a small mould-, board of peouliar Bhape. When the maohlne is working, the skim plough m front takes off the turs indand grass from the surface and turns it into the furrow, the concave ploughs following and ontting furrowa any width that that may be required up to 16 Inches, the peculiar shape and abruptness of the onrv.es of tjje mouldboardaaauße the earth of the furrqir aa it ia taken np, to be thoroughly pulverised, and at tbe »me time all rege. tation and solid manure which may hare baen on the sarfac9 are buried at the bottom of the furrow. When tbe earth Is stiff or clayey it la received by the adjustable projooting plates attaohed to the mouldboardß and is thoroughly broke a op. The advantages claimed for the plough are that it dispenses with the necessity of of skim plonghing m breaking up lea land and with tbe disc, harrowing which often has to follow the r 6rdirfary ploughing j"anH it ia further o'almed 1 that with murfh of the land on the plains, harrowing before the drill la unnecessary. The best material is employed In the construction of the plough, all the wearing parts era matte of chilled iron, and sa they *ee 'rerprcilbta repairs bte pnjy ijoeJje^ at Ipog Jnte>vfcltV " The fand m which the tytfl wa^h^ was an old grain paddock, and of a rather stiff nature. Tbe plough did its work, however, most thoroughly, and thoee present expressed themselves as well satisfied with the manner In whioh the work waa dona and the land prepared ready for the seed.