Trial of a New Plough.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 392, 10 August 1889, Page 6

Trial of a New Plough.

A vitjjlic; trial of a new plough builfc by Howard, of Bedtord, arranged by Messrs Priestand Holdgate, agents forTimaru.took place recently in a paddock at the Washdyke belonging to the Meat Preserving Company. There was a very large attendance of farmers. The plough was in charge ' of Mr Ranger, the expert, and was drawn by four ordinary farm horses, driven by Mr Seyb. Lea land was operated on, and the driver opened out with the, to him, new mi- ' plement without any trouble. The plough ip of the universal lever pattern, but in place of ordinary coulters has what ars called two " skim coulters." These coulters turn off 1 the grass or other surface covering into the furrow. The mould boards are of concave instead of convex form, and have an adjustable wing plate at the end. This plate has a deep straight entrance and the soil run ning up over the wing plate strikes the coucave mould boaj'd, and is by this motion laid out at right angles, thoroughly broken up into cross section?. By this the plough thoroughly pulverises the soil, buries all surface weeds, long grass, etc., and leaves work which in almost every way equal* spade husbandry. Farmeis n.sinsr this plough have no need of disc harrows, and can plough with it to any depth up to 12in. by 16in. The share points, on one side wearing too much can be taken out and reversed, and when new cost the small sum of 6d each. Like the breast and reversible skin pieces, the points are diamond chilled by a process .specially Howard's, and are almost unbreakable. The many tanners present spoke very highly of the work done, and listened with great attention to what Mr Ranger had to tell them. He said that many of the ploughs are now at work in North Canterbury, and have given the greatest satisfaction. The ground wa& thoroughly prepared by them ; tho piice was reasonable ; and tho beams, bodies, mould boards, etc., t were made of the hnest material. There is no doubt that the new implement marks quite a distinct deparfcure.ki the make and work of the plough, and as Mr Seyb intends to note the result of grain grown on the land ploughed yesterday, farmers .and others interested will have the lesson shown to them worked out to a thoroughly practical issue. In the meantime all interested should look up Messrs * Priest and Holdgate and ascertain full particulars of the new plough. — Timaru Herald.

The world's tobacno crop is thus reported by an American paper :—The tobacco crop r of the United States averages about 500,000,000 pounds per year. That of ' 'Germany has averaged 90,000,000 for the last, fifteen years, enough to affect our export of tobacco to that country to • some extent. The export* of leaf tobacco is considerably more than half of our crop, and of, this more than eighty per cent, goes ,to Europe: and in .Europe, Germany, in > [spite of her large production, takes more • than any other 'country. England ' cornea next, and then Italy, France, and Spain in the order of mention. > " < A pair of steps is a queer thing—it has only one foot. • > < Cobwigger—My doctor's bill was something enormous." Brown—So you didn't • have your pains for nothing. '.