Part 29

_Fig._ 3. Shews the right-hand Side, and upper Side of the Four-coulter Plough, of which V the Iron Ground-wrist is shewn in _Fig._ 9. long Two Feet Five Inches, deep at the End _b_ Four Inches, and Three-eighths of an Inch thick, except at the End _a_, where it is thin enough to bend, so as to fit close to the Share, as at _e_, in _Fig._ 6. The Ground-wrist has Four small Holes near its End _a_, into one of which goes a Nail, to fasten it to the Shear, thro’ the long Hole in the Side of the Socket of the Share, as at _a_, in _Fig._ 10. and then it will stand in the Posture shewn by _e f_, in _Fig._ 6. From the Outside of the Ground-wrist at _f_, to the Outside of the Share at _b_, is Eleven Inches and an half, which is the Width of the lower Part of the Plough-tail at the Ground; the Ground-wrist has several Holes at the upper Side of its broadest End, as at _b_, in _Fig._ 9. by which it is nailed to the lower Part of the Drock T, as in _Fig._ 3. which Drock with its Perforations is shewn in _Fig._ 11.

_Fig._ 12. Is the Earth-board, with its Inside upwards; the Notch _a b_ shews the Rising of the Wood, which takes hold of the Edge of the Sheat, to hold it the firmer, to which it is fastened by the Holes _c_ and _d_; and at the other End it is fastened to the Drock, at the Hole _e_. All which is seen as it stands mark’d with W, in _Fig._ 3. But this Pin, with which it is fastened to the Drock, is bigger in the Middle than at each End; which prevents the Earth-board from coming near the Drock: By this Pin, the Earth-board is set at a greater or less Distance from the Drock, as there is Occasion to throw off the Furrow farther from the Plough at some times than at others: It always stands considerably farther out on the right Hand than the Ground-wrist does, which is one Reason that the Drock is made crooked, bending outwards in that Part.

The long Handle X is _Fig._ 13. long Five Feet Four Inches, broad in the widest Part Four Inches, pinned to the Sheat thro’ the Holes _a b_, and pinned to the Drock through the Hole _c_.

The short Handle S is _Fig._ 14. and is long Three Feet Nine Inches, pinned to the hinder Sheat (being _Fig._ 15.) by the Hole _a_, and to the Top of the Fore-sheat above the Beam by the Hole _b_.

The Handles are made so long, for the more easy guiding of the Plough; but the lazy Ploughman is apt to cut them off shorter, close up to the Plough, to the end that, bearing his whole Weight thereon, he may in a manner ride instead of walking; but if he should thus ride on long Handles, he would tilt up the Fore-end of the Beam, and raise the Share out of the Ground.

The chief, and most indispensably necessary thing to be observed, is, to place the Four Coulters in such a manner, that the Four imaginary Planes described by the Edges of the Four Coulters, as the Plough moves forwards, be all of them parallel to each other, or very nearly so; for if any one of them should be much inclined to, or recede from, either of the other three, they could not enter the Ground together. In order to place them thus, the Coulter-holes must be made through the Beam, in the manner as they are shewn in _Fig._ 3. _viz._ the Second Coulter-hole is Two Inches and an half more on the Right than the First, the Third, Two and an half more on the right Hand than the Second, and the Fourth, Two Inches and an half more on the right Hand than the Third, conformable to the Four Incisions or Cuts they are to make in a Ten-inch Furrow: And because no single Beam is broad enough to hold the Four Coulter-holes at this Distance, we are forced to add the Piece shewn in _Fig._ 16. The Second Hole is made Part in the Beam, and Part in this Piece; the Third and Fourth are made wholly in this Piece, in which _a_, _b_, _c_, are the Ends of the Three Screws, which fasten the Piece to the right Side of the Beam by their Nuts.

The Distance of Two Inches and an half, by which each of the Three added Coulters stand more to the right Hand than that immediately behind it, must be reckoned from the Middle of one Hole to the Middle of the other.

The Fore-part of every Hole must incline a little towards the Left; so that the Backs of the Coulters may not bear against the left Side of the Incisions made by the Edges.

Each Hole, being a Mortise, is one Inch and a quarter wide, with its Two opposite Sides parallel from Top to Bottom; each of these Mortises, or Holes, are long at Top Three Inches and an half, and at Bottom Three Inches; the Back-part, or Hinder-end, of each Coulter-hole is not perpendicular, but oblique, and determines the Obliquity of the Standing of the Coulter, which is wedged tight up to it by the Poll-wedge _i_, _Fig._ 1. as all Coulters are.

_Fig._ 17. Is a Coulter; _a b_ is its Length, being Two Feet Eight Inches, before it is worn; _e d_ is its Edge, Sixteen Inches long; _d c_ is the Length of its Handle, Sixteen Inches; this is made thus long, at first, to stand above the Plough, that it may be driven down lower, according as the Point wears shorter; this Handle is One Inch and Seven Eighths broad, and Seven Eighths of an Inch thick, equally thro’ its whole Length: Its Breadth and Thickness might be described by a rectangled Parallelogram.

In all Ploughs this first Coulter is, or ought to be, placed in the Beam in manner following; _viz._ its Back to bear against the Back of the Coulter-hole, its right Side above to bear against the upper Edge of the Coulter-hole, and its left Side to bear against the lower Edge of the Coulter-hole; so that always Three Wedges at least will be necessary to hold the Coulter; the Poll-wedge before it, as at _i_, in _Fig._ 1. another Wedge on the left Side of it above, and a Third on the right Side underneath: The Coulter-hole must be so made, that the Coulter standing thus across the Hole, its Point may incline so much towards the Left, as to be about Two Inches and an half farther to the Left[260] than the Point of the Share, if it were driven down as low as it; but it never ought to be so low in any Plough: As to its bearing forwards, the Point of the Coulter should never be before the Middle of the Point of the Share: What Angle the Coulter would make with the Bottom of the Share, may be seen by the Posture it stands in, in _Fig._ 1. If it should be set much more obliquely, it would have a greater Force to raise up the Poll-wedge, and get loose.

[260] I find that sometimes it is necessary in some of these Ploughs for the Point of this Coulter to stand yet farther on the Left of the Share’s Point.

The Three added Coulters should stand in the same Posture with this already described, in regard to the Inclination of their Points towards the Left: And this is a very great Advantage to them; for by this means, when the Fin is rais’d up, by turning the Handles towards the Left, their Points do not rise out of the Ground on the right Hand, as they would do without this described Inclination towards the Left; but in regard to their Pointing forwards, I find it best, that every one of the Three should be a little more perpendicular than that next behind it. So the Coulter 4 stands the nearest to Perpendicular of any of them. By this means there being more Room betwixt them above than below, they are the more easily freed from the Turf, whenever the Pieces, being covered with a great Quantity of Couch-grass, or the like, rise up betwixt them: which tho’ this seldom happens, makes a Necessity for a Man, or a Boy, to go on the Side with a forked Stick, to push out the Turf and Grass, which might otherwise fill the Spaces betwixt the Coulters, and raise up the Plough out of its Work.

’Tis to be observed, that none of these Coulters ought to descend so low as the Bottom of the Share, except when you plow very shallow: ’Tis always sufficient that they cut through the Turf, let the Plough go never so deep in the Ground.

It is necessary also, that when you plow very shallow, the Fin of the Share be broad enough to cut off the Fourth Piece or Furrow; else that, lying fast, will be apt to raise up the Ground-wrist, and throw out the Plough: But when you plow deep, the Ground-wrist will break off this Fourth Furrow, altho’ the Fin be not broad enough to reach it.

Sometimes the First or left Furrow is apt to come through betwixt the First Coulter and the Sheat, and so falls on the left-hand Side of the Plough: This is no Injury; but yet it is prevented, by letting the Second Coulter stand a little higher than the Third; and then the Second Furrow, holding the First at its Bottom, will carry it over, together with itself, on the right Side by the Earth-board; but yet never set this, or any of the Three added Coulters, so high that they may not cut through the Turf. But as for the first Coulter, tho’ it should cut but an Inch or Two within the Ground, the Share will break off the first Furrow in raising it up.

Remember, as often as the Point of any Coulter is worn too short, that you drive down the Coulter with a large Hammer, carried for that Purpose; and when it is driven low enough, fasten the Wedges again, so as to keep the Coulters in their right Postures, that their Incisions may be all of them equidistant.

_Fig._ 18. Is a Nut, with Two of its opposite Corners turn’d up, by which it is driven round by a Hammer, and has so great a Force, that Three of them, with their Screws properly placed, hold the Piece, _Fig._ 16. as fast to the Plough-beam, as if they both were made of one Piece of Wood; but as often as the Wood shrinks in dry Weather, the Nuts must be screw’d farther on, both here and in all other Places where they are used: particularly, those which hold up the Retch; for if the Sheat should once get loose, there is no Cure but by a new one.

Betwixt this Nut and the Wood, there should be a thin Iron Bolster, about the Thickness of a Shilling, broader than the Nut, to prevent the Nut from eating into the Wood, especially when it is to be often screw’d, as on the Retch of these Ploughs, and most of all on the Hoe-plough; but sometimes we use a Piece of Shoe-leather instead of an Iron Bolster.

_Note_, There must be Iron Plates upon all the Coulter-holes both above and below, Three of which are seen on the Piece in _Fig._ 16. There is no need to say how they must be nailed on with many Nails made for the Purpose.

_Fig._ 19. Is the Iron Collar, fastened to the Beam by Two short Crooks A, B, which take hold of Two short Pins driven into the Plough just behind the Second Coulter-hole, one on one Side, and the other on the other Side of the Beam. The Crook A is seen on the left Side of the Beam near _c_, in _Fig._ 2. the Crook B doing the same on the other Side of the Beam, which is seen near _a_, in _Fig._ 3. C is the Crook (for its Shape called a C) which holds the Tow-chain to the Collar by the Link D, being Part of the said Chain taking hold of its Fore-claw; the other Claw taking hold of one of the Five Notches of the Collar: This Collar is partly seen at _d_, in _Fig._ 2. Both the Claws of the Crook (or C) turn upwards, so that they cannot take hold of any thing that may rise under the Plough: The Use of the Notches is to help the Direction of the Point of the Share, which has been described by the prick’d Lines under _Fig._ 1. As the Point of the Share wears, it inclines a little more towards the Right, and is remedied by moving the Crook into a Notch nearer to the Left, which will direct the Point a little more towards the Left: This is more easy to be done here than in the common Plough, whose Collar moves round the Beam: We can, by changing the Crook from one Notch to another, incline the Point of the Share towards the Right or Left at Pleasure. The Length of each Side of this Collar is a Foot long.

The Tow-chain is best seen in _Fig._ 3. where the Link Y is that which passes thro’ the Box, and is pinned in by the Stake, as has been shewn in _Fig._ 1. which Stake is commonly nailed to the Box, to prevent its rising up. When we would draw up the Plough a little nearer to the Crow-staves, we take hold of the Crook by a Second or Third Link. _Note_, That the shortening of the Chain does also a little incline the Point of the Share towards the Left.

_Fig._ 20. is the Iron-wilds. The Leg A is of one Piece with that which has the Notch, and that passes thro’ the Leg B by the Loop at _a_; both which Legs pass thro’ the Box, and are pinned in behind it, by the crooked Pins C, D. This Figure is seen with its Crooks on it, both in _Fig._ 1. and _Fig._ 2. _Note_, That the Holes in the Box, thro’ which these Legs pass, must not be made at right Angles with the Box, but must incline upwards, so that the Fore-part of the Wilds may be higher than the Hinder-part, or else the Upper-part of the Crow-staves would lean quite back when the Plough is drawn. If the Beasts that draw immediately next to the Plough be very high, their Traces must be the longer; else they and the Wilds making too small an Angle with the Tow-chain at the Box, when they draw hard, the Wheels will rise from the Ground, and be apt to overturn: This Angle I suppose should not be less than of 160 Degrees, and the Angle made by the Tow-chain or Traces that are drawn by the Cattle that go before them, will make an Angle with the Tow-chain at the Box yet much more obtuse. The Use of these Notches in the Wilds is, to give the Plough a broader or narrower Furrow: If the Links are moved to the Notches on the right Hand, it brings the Wheels towards the left Hand, which gives a greater Furrow; and when the Links are moved towards the left Hand, it gives a less Furrow, by bringing the Wheels towards the right Hand.

The Distance betwixt the Two Legs of the Wilds is Eight Inches and an half; the Length of the Legs is Nineteen Inches. They must be of convenient Strength. The Links being placed in Notches distant from one another, prevents one Wheel from advanceing before the other; which would happen, if the Links were both in One Notch, or in Two adjoining Notches, except they were middle Notches: These Links are each Six Inches and an half long.

E is the Ring, by which the Two Links, and the Two Crooks F and G, are held together, and on which they all move.

The Height of the Wheels in _Fig._ 2. The left-hand Wheel is Twenty Inches Diameter; the Diameter of the right Wheel is Two Feet Three Inches; the Distance the Wheels are set from each other at the Ground, is Two Feet Five Inches and an half; the Crow-staves are One Foot Eleven Inches high, from the Box to the Gallows; they both stand perpendicular to the Box, and the Distance between the Crow-staves is Ten Inches and an half. The Pillow is pinned up at its Ends by Two small Iron Pins, which are chained to it, that if they drop, they may not be lost. These appear in _Fig._ 1. and _Fig._ 2. The Height from the level Surface, up to the Hole in the Box, where the Tow-chain passes through it, is Thirteen Inches (being Two Inches below the Holes of the Wilds, on the Hinder-side of the Box); the Height at the other End, where the Crook of the Collar takes hold of the Pin in the Beam at _c_, in _Fig._ 2. is Twenty Inches high above the same level Surface, and shews how much the Chain descends forward, for drawing down the Plough, and by which Descent may be known what Angle the Chain would make with the Surface, if it were produced forwards in a strait Line; which is a thing material for the good going of a Plough; and so is the Angle the Tow-chain makes with the Beam: About the Middle of this Tow-chain, there should be a Swivel, whereby one End of the Chain may turn without the other.

When this Four coulter Plough is made, I would advise, that it be tried with only the first Coulter, before the other Three are put in; for if the Plough does not go well with One Coulter, it is not likely it should go well with Four; and I never yet have seen or heard of any that went well with One Coulter, that did not also go well with Four, being placed as is here directed.

[Illustration: _Plate II._

_P. 307_

_B Cole Delin et Sculp_]

The Proofs of a Plough’s performing well are these; _viz._ If it makes a Furrow of an equal Depth on the right Hand and on the left, and turns it off fairly: If, in its going, the Tail of the Share, and the Bottom of the Drock, bear against the Bottom of the Furrow; and if it goes easy in the Hands of the Holder, without pressing one Arm more than the other; then the Plough is certainly a good one.

The Ploughman who is accustom’d to a Two-wheel’d Plough, never suffers the Wheels to overturn, in turning out at the Land’s End, from one Furrow to another; for which Purpose, after he has lifted the Plough a little round, he has a Knack of holding up the Crow-staves with the End of the Beam, by pressing his Hand hard against the Handle, whilst the Plough lies down on one Side, until the Horses, the Wheels, and the Plough, come near to a Line in the Beginning of the Furrow; and then he lifts up his Plough, and goes on.

CHAP. XX.

_Of the Drill-Boxes._

The Drill is the Engine that plants our Corn and other Seeds in Rows: It makes the Chanels, sows the Seed into them, and covers them at the same time, with great Exactness and Expedition.

The principal Parts of the Drill are, the Seed-box, the Hopper, and the Plough, with its Harrow.

Of these the Seed-box is the Chief: It measures (or rather numbers) out the Seed which it receives from the Hopper: It is for this Purpose as an artificial Hand, which performs the Task of delivering out the Seed, more equally than can be done by a natural Hand.

It is described, together with some of its Appurtenances, in _Plates_ 2 and 3.

_The_ MORTISE.

As the Seed-box is the principal Part of a Drill, so is the Mortise the principal Part of the Seed-box.

The following Descriptions shew how this Mortise differs from a common Mortise.

Fig. 1. _Plate_ 2. shews both the upper and lower Edges of a Turnep-Seed-box, and the Manner how they are posited one over another, _a b c d_ is a rectangled Parallelogram, and shews the upper Edges (or Top) of the Mortise. _e f g h_, being a Figure of the same Denomination with the former, is the lower Edges (or Bottom) of the Mortise. The Line _e h_ is the Length of the lower Edge of the Hinder-end of the Mortise. _a d_ is the upper Edge of the Hinder-end of the Mortise, and posited just over the lower Edge of the same End. The Space between the Line _a b_, and the Line _e f_, shews half the Excess whereby the Bottom of the Mortise exceeds the Top in Breadth; as the Space on the opposite Side, betwixt the Line _c d_, and the Line _g h_, shews the other Half of that Excess, both which Halves, taken together, shew the whole Bevel (or Angle of Inclination) described in _Fig._ 2. That Part of the Line _a b_, from the Angle at _b_ to the Line _f g_, which intersects it, shews the Excess whereby the Top of the Mortise exceeds the Bottom in Length.

_Fig._ 2. Is the Mortise cut down by its Four Corners, and laid open. _a b c d_ is a Trapezium, with Two parallel Sides, and mark’d A, the right Side of the Mortise; its opposite Side _e f g h_, mark’d B, the left Side of the Mortise; the Areas of both being true Planes[261].

[261] Take care that these opposite Sides be sure to be true Planes, especially all that Part of their Areas, that is before the transverse Axes of their Ellipses herein after described; for should they be otherwise, the Bevel of the Mortise would be spoiled, and so would the Ellipses, and the acute Triangles, on the Sides of the Tongue; which how necessary they are to be true, is shewn in the proper Place. Workmen are very apt to fail in this when they file by Hand, and make these Sides of the Mortise convex instead of plane. Therefore this might be done with less Difficulty, and more Exactness, with a File placed in a Frame, whereby it might move upon a true Level without rising or sinking of either End.

_d i k h_ Shew the Fore-end of the Mortise, mark’d C. _a l m e_ shew the Hinder-end of the Mortise, mark’d D. _a d h e_ shew the Bottom of the Mortise already described in _Fig._ 1. If these opposite Sides and Ends were all raised up, until the Angle at _b_ join the Angle at _l_, and that at _m_ join _f_, and that at _g_ join _k_, and that _i_ join _c_, the Top of the Mortise would be formed, and the same with the Parallelogram _a b c d_, in _Fig._ 1. and then the intire Mortise of the Turnep Seed-box would appear in its true Form, standing upon its Bottom.

This differs from a common Mortise, in that it is impossible to fit it with a Tenon; because it is narrower above, and shorter below, as in _Fig._ 1.

The Areas, or imaginary Planes, of the Top and Bottom of the Mortise, are parallel to each other, but not equal.