THE GANG PLOUGH.

Globe, Volume XX, Issue 1556, 13 February 1879, Page 3

THE GANG PLOUGH.

Yesterday morning, on the invitation of Mr George King, the local agent of Cair and Hobson’s Gang plough, several gentlemen proceeded to Prebbleton to witness the working of the implement. The party contained no less than three of that class designated by a City Councillor on u recent occasion as “ sceptics” and “ infidels.” In fact one of them well known in the sporting world handled t),e ribbons of >he drag. It is satisfactory to be enabled to record that notwithstanding the perilous nature of the freight, the party arrived safely at their destination.

The inventive faculty of the American nation has often been referred to, and we here have had practical illustrations of it m the numerous reapers and binders which have been imported ; but in the implement now under notice they have excelled themselves, and the result is the productiou of a plough which is a marvel of lightness and most efficient m its work. So light is it that the two horses used yesterday did not appear to feel it in the least, even when the plough was S't deep. The effe tiveness of it was fully proved, so far as ploughing or skimming in stubble laud goes. The ground was thoroughly broken up and pulverised, the weeds being brought out on to the top, so that they won d bn easily removable by the harrows, in the Gang plough the old fashioi ed handles are entirely dispensed with, the two mould hoards being nrmly attached to a moveable or sideswinging gang of two beams. It has a powerful lever, by means of which the mould-boards are lifted from a working to a travelling position, or by the same means lowered again for work. When about to turn comers a slight irward lerk on the lever unlocks the joint, whilst a forward motion brings the ploughshares to the surface, and at the commencement of new furrows the lever is again thrown down, and the ploughshares enter the soil. The plough is drawn by two horses, driven from an elevated perch, and the depth of the work is regulated by

a simple device at the forward end of the beams, and as tbe draught is di ect from the work the carriage receives no strain. It has a single straight independent axle, the off wheel running on the top of the first furrow’, and is always in a level position cither in work or transit. It is claimed for this plough that if the first two furrows are broken or crooked, either through the driver’s inattention or inexperience, those following will straighten themselves. Hitherto the tendency with other double furrow ploughs has been for each succeeding furrow to increase the irregularity of its predecessor. The plough is exceedingly compact, and the mechanism excellenti The lever particularly, which is used for raising and lowering the ploughshares, is a very ingenious piece of machinery. There can be no doubt of this from the result of the trial of yesterday that for breaking up stubble laud, that is, skim ploughing and crossing, the Gang plongh will be invaluable to farmers, it can be driven by a boy, aud gets over a very large area of ground during a day with little or no fatigue to the hor-es.

The spot selected was a paddock of Mr Overton’s, near Templeton. The ground had had a crop of wheat taken off it, and was fair average land, with perhaps a tendency to lightness. The firr-t trial was made with a furrow four feet wide on the round, and fur inches deep. The plongh under these conditions did good work, thoroughly breaking the soil and pulverising it. At present there are only two shares on the plough, but doubtless the manufacturers will fiud it to their adv-ntago to fix on another one, which will not materially affect the draught of the plough aud will add very greatly to the amount of work it would do.

Some of thefirmers present were of opinion that the off wheel which runs on the furrow would be better if it were shifted so as to run in the furrow. It was argued Hat in this case it would form a pood guide for tbe driver, besides preventing tbe crushing in of weeds into the soft soil. On the other hmd, it was urged that this wheel, being necessariy larger than the other one, would make the plough unwiedlv to drive awa from the field. Be this as it may. no doubt improvements to adapt the implement more economically or effectively to our use here will suggest themselves in time. After looking at the good work done by the plough, a trial was made of it at a six inch depth, the furrow width being the same. Some very excellent work was also done here, the ground being well broken up and pulverised though harder than the piece in which the shallower depth had been tried. Altogether, Mr King is to be congratulated upon the success attendant upon the experiment, and there is no doubt that for skim and crossploughing the implement will come very frequently into use. How it will shape in new land it is not possible to say as no trial has yet been had, but for skim ploughing in tussocky ground it should bo exceedingly effective.