THE FARM.

Marlborough Daily Times, Volume III, Issue 303, 28 October 1881, Page 4

THE FARM.

THE GILPIN SULKY PLOUGH. A correspondent writes the following to the Bruce Herald respecting the Gilpin Sulky Plough, an implement which was exhibited at the late show of the A. a.id P. Society : Last week I went lo sec the Yankee Gang Plough at work on Mr Wayne's farm. I was accompanied by Mr Dunn, of Riversdale, and Mr Martin, of Clover Hill. When we arrived at the home farm we were met by Mr Wayne, and as the teams were unyoking for dinner, we ■were invited to partake of luncheon, after which, accompanied by Mr Wayne, we went to see the single Yankee at work. There were two of them, breaking up new ground. The construction of the plough is very simple. It is drawn by a pole. The plough is attached to a carriage set on two wheels about three feet in diameter, with a seat on the top for the driver, so that lie can sit and regulate the depth of his furrow without stopping his horses. The plough itself is similar to what is known as the hill-side plough. It has a revolving colter, worked on an axle similar to the front wheel of the grubber, so that going round sharp curves there is no danger of twisting tlie colter. This seems to be an improvement on the present mode of having them stationary. The driver informed me that it works admirably on the swing-plough. The breadth of furrow is regulated by a kind of double bridle ; it can be set to take a furrow from six inches to two feet in breadth. The ploughs are worked by 3 horses, and in one of the teams they were mere riding ponies, in Value not worth more than from LlO to Ll2 a-pieee, and did their work more freely than the heavier and more valuable horses. Mr Wayne informed us that lie had great difficulty in getting the right stamp of horses for this kind of plough, and that mules w ere preferable to horses. I must say for myself that, being a Scotchman, I was very much prejudiced against the Yankee plough, and I think my companions shared my prejudices ; but we had not been on the ground

many minutes when our prejudices “ melted awa’ like snaw oil'a stane dyke, ” and Mr Dunn emphatically declared that he must have one. At the time of our visit they were, as 1 said, breaking up new ground. The furrow averaged eight inches deep by eighteen incites broad, taken clean out of the bottom, the furrow being thrown nearly upside down, leaving the bottom as level as a board, and not like steps and stairs, as is often the case with our high-cutting ploughs. They were ploughing along the face of a steep ridge, where horses could hardly get standing ground. We were all of opinion that it could not have been ploughed with a swing-plough, and that the Yankee was undoubtedly the best for the face of a ridge, as the driver has nothing to do but to attend to his horses. Another peculiar feature in the turning outlie furrow is that the mould board turns the soil over in such a way as to break it all to pieces, making it appear as if the land had been harrowed, which is much preferable to the ordinary mode of setting it up on edge, as it exposes 1 the soil more fully to the action of the air and weather. We were informed liy Mr Wayne that this kind of plough costs about LIS, and turns over, on an average, about two and a-lialf acres in a day of eight hours.

We next interviewed the Yankee doublefurrow plough. Its construction is similar to the foregoing, hut it does not appear to be so well adapted for rough ground. On the level ground it answers well to any depth that may be required. At the time of our visit it was cross-ploughing over some work six inches deep which had been done by contract. The Yankee went three inches deeper, and threw the furrows upside down, so that all the new soil was brought to the top. This plough was drawn by four horses, and is capable of turning over on an average of four acres a day. It costs about 1/2(5.