The English improver improved, or, The svrvey of hvsbandry svrveyed discovering the improueableness of all lands some to be under a double and treble, others under a five or six fould, and many under a tenn fould, yea, some under a twenty fould improvement / by Walter Blith ... ; all clearely demonstrated from principles of reason, ingenuity, and late but most real experiences and held forth at an inconsiderable charge to the profits accrewing thereby, under six peeces of improvement ...

CHAP. XXIX.

The second Generall, whereby I shall descend to the description of the severall Ploughes in use, and shew you the defects in some, and the Ad∣vantages others have, and what Addition I can give both from my own Observations, or o∣therwise, to make up as compleat an easie Plough as my Experi∣ence will make out.

I Shall therefore confine my discourse to three or four sorts of ploughs.

First the Wheel-plough, I mean the double wheeled plough.

2. The single wheeled plough, and the foot plough.

3. The simple plain plough, without wheel or foot.

4. The Dutch Bastard, or plain Dutch plough.

Many other sorts there are, as some alter in their heads, some in their Beams, some in their Stilts, &c. and most in their Shares, and all almost according to the Country of which they are, of al which it were too endless to discourse but I onely name these, because I conceive all these usefull in some sort of Land or other, and a good husband had need be stored with two or three sorts of them at all times, espe∣cially he that hath severall sorts of Lands, of all which I shall say but little, yet a word of each; but I shall reserve the main of my discourse for those very particular branches of the plough that shall make out that I shall give ease ther∣to.

And first, as for the double wheeled plough commonly

called the Wheel-ploug, and is of most constant use in Hartfordshire, and many up-Countries; and is very usefull upon all flinty, stony, or hard gravell, or any other hard Land whatsoever after it comes to be beyond its natural temper, is an excellent good form, & a very usefull plow, and very necessary that al great Corn-masters have one of these for strength, that so he may not force his other plows which are made on purpose for lands in a Tillable cōdition, & so are made more light & portable than these will bear to be, but these will go and work well with a great strength, when other ploughs will not to any pur∣pose; and because much addition of ease cannot be given to this plough, which I shall not advise to but in the cases aforesaid, when and where other ploughs cannot work, these Lands being under an extreme. And as to such extremes, nor none else will any ordinary Rule hold, that I may not work against the stream, lest I swim alone; I will only give you a short description with the draught or figure therof, and as any addition may be given to the plough in any of its members, it shall not be restrained from an application to this as wel as to any other.

This is usualy drawn with Horses, or Oxen geered dou∣ble two a breast and indeed so they draw the strongest but tread the Land the more, but why they may not be put single in wet seasons, or in dangerous times, I know not.

This Wheel-plough is made of a strong clest Ash-beam, about six foot long, and is contrary to all other beams in the Compass of it the crook or compass wherof looketh upwards, and the Land-handle thereof is placed at the great or neather end of the beam, as other ploughs are for it is usually made with one handle, and the plow-staff is instead of the Furrow-handle, and is very long an∣swerable to the length of the handle, the length wherof I much approve, and could wish it were observed in every plough whatsoever, it tending much to the easie and cer∣tain holding of the plough.

The Sheath is made of the toughest, youngest Ash, and

perfect & dry that can be got, and set with a very good mortess very much forward, joynted exceeding true and close into the beam, and driven up so exceeding hard, with a bragget behind it to hold it from declining, that it stands and will to its work in the strongest land whatsoever.

The Head is pitched as strongly at the neather end of the Sheath and Stilt as can be, and pinned through both, and the Share is pitched upon the Head at a very deep pitch and somewhat hanging, that so the plough may goe much a shore, because the holder usually goes two furrows off the plough wider on the near side the plough: And as it is pitched deep, near a full yard pitch, so it is also very broad, being near half a yard, and that I conceive arises from the former Reason, because of the mans going so far wide of his plough. Their Shares are made exceeding narrow, and very strong, and run∣ing out to a very exceeding long small point, very well stee∣led, and sometimes they add a Tush or Phin, but they make it very narrow also, and so it must needs be, the hardness, and stoniness of the land not admitting of it: And the Coul∣ter stands a little above the Share-point, and not before it, but rather behind it.

As for the Wheels that bear it, being eighteen or twenty inches high, are made of about six spokes of wood or iron, fastened into a little short Hub or Nath, and a bark hoop or iron binding round about them: they run upon an iron Spindle about two foot long: which runs round in a Boul∣ster which the iron spindle beareth, and it is three or four inches thick, and lieth betwixt the wheels about fifteen or sixteen inches in length or more, and at least eighteen or twenty inches in height, standing up to bear the plough-beam, & upon the same Boulster goes up an Iron pin eight or nine inches above the Beam, and to gage it for its true depth; to the middle of which Boulster is fastened a short chain backward with a strong iron Coller almost like a round Ring which encompasseth the Beam, and is moveable, and to be put forward or backward, to make the plough goe deeper or shallower, as occasion is, and is held in its place with an Iron Hammer; the helve or shaft all of solid Iron,

[illustration]

and that is to be taken in or out of the beam at pleasure, to let it down or take it up as cause requires: and when the plough turns out of work at Lands end, it must have some cord or strong whit-leather thong to come up from the boulster, to keep the beam from slipping off being empty. And so you have a short verball description of the Wheel-plough as it is used in most parts of England.

This Wheel-plough requires a great strength; and the greater because of the great length they are made of, which carrieth such a long and heavy weight of earth upon it, that it adds exceedinly to the burthen of it, which may be easily removed in some measure, by contracting the plough into a shorter, and somewhat narrower compass, and taking off as much of the weight and load both of Wood and Iron, as the strength of the work will bear upon which it is to be em∣ployed; yet it being a very useful plough upon some lands & at some seasons. The Figure expect with the other ploughs.

There is another double Wheeled-plough, & it is called the Turn wrest plough, which of all ploughs that ever I saw, surpasseth for weight and clumsiness: it is the most of use in Keut, Picardy and Normandy, and is called the Ken∣tish plough with us.

The beam may be made of any wood for the bigness of it, but Ash is best: but the two handles are made of one forked peece of any wood, and the beam tenanted into the Stlit below the Fork, and so it runs down into the plough-head, and is there tenanted and pinned into the head; and as for the Sheath, that is a good strong peece of dry Ash tenan∣ted into the beam, directly down right, but looking for∣ward at the neather end, and fixed into the Head somewhat as other ploughs are, but the Sheath far bigger downwards: the plough-head is pitched at a very great depth, or else at random for depth, being carried with two Wheeles as the former, but nothing like so neat nor easie; and for bredth, it is pitched just under the Beam upon a straight line, and so it ought to be, as you shall see anon. As for any Shield or breast-board, it hath none at all on either side the plough,

as all other have, but a little peece of wood set along the Sheath forward, about five inches broad, closing upon the Share just as if you would cut a Die in the midst from corner to corner, and place the flat side to the Sheath, and the edge forward, which is their breast-board. The Share is put up∣on the plough-head with a pan half round upward, and flat downward, and is, or ought to be tushed a little on both sides, as our ordinary ploughs are, and so runs out to a sharp point.

They have one Wrest or two, some one and no more, but sometimes two, which I should conceive alwaies and at all times best; and this Wrest is to be put upon pins, one in the Sheath, standing just under the Breast board, and the other unto a longer pin or round staff fixed into the bottom of the handle, as wide as the furrow, and this Wrest is no other but as a round stick about two foot long, or rather a half rovnd one, with two holes in it to put the aforesaid pins into; and at every Lands end this Wrest must be turned on the other side; so if they have two must they both be alter∣ed also, and one placed two or three inches higher than the other, and the highest is to be placed broader by an inch and half, or two inches, and sometimes three inches than the low∣ermost to cast the furrow cleanly over.

And for the Coulter, that is also moveable in the Coul∣ter hole, it being made very wide, at every Lands end, to which purpose they have a strong ground Oak-plant, about an inch and half over, that is very tough, and with that they will, having two pins placed upon the top of the Beam, one an equall distance from another, and both equally di∣stant from the Coulter, wrest or writh the Coulter from one side to another, and there hold it till they come to the lands end, and there turn both Wrest and Coulter.

And thus you have a rude description of the Turnwrest or Kentish plough, and the Figure you should have, would it advantage my Reader half so much as it would cost the cutting; but they are so common in Kent all the Countrey over, and that so near London, that I had rather when thou hast a mind invite thee thither to see the thing it self

which will give thee better satisfaction than all the Figures can dot.

Yet thus much learn from hence, that the Land that ly∣eth so upon the side of a hill, as there is no plowing it up∣ward and downward, may very well be plowed with this plough, and best of all, and it is especially usefull hereto; or it you have any flat levell peece, where you would not have one furrow discovered, this will do it also; the formost Horse or Ox alway going in the furrow, and the nearest alway upon the Land, and alway double; and I am consi∣dent it may be cast into a neater form, and made to very good advantage; the weightiness and ugliness of it I hate, but the Turnwrest conceit I like, which my occasions have not permitted me to experiment, of which I shall say no more at present, but that the Turnwrests to cast the furrow is very good and usefull for the two sorts of ground above∣said.

I shall now come to the one wheeled Plough, and of that I shall give you also somewhat a large accompt, be∣cause it is an excellent good one, and you may use it upon almost any sort of Lands, which the Figure and descripti∣on of the same, which shallbe drawn into that shape and form that will admit of more lightness and nimbleness than any of the former.

You may see the use and fashion of it too at Collonell Blunts near Greenwitch in Kent, a Gentleman of great e∣steem and honour in his Country, who hath made very many of them.

The main Plough-beam is very short, about five foot long, made of very good wood, but small and light as may be, to which is another false Beam added below the Coul∣ter hole, under the other and fixed to it by a staple, drove up into the true Beam, with a capping upon the false beam end, or some other way, the form whereof is not much materiall, which false beame is that by which the plough is drawn, and gives opportunity by a Standard put into the end of it, bored full of holes; and passing through

the Master-beam, to let the plough up and down to any gage of depth or shallowness whatsoever, and indeed that beam is the guide of it.

The Sheath is pitched very forward from the beam into the mold of the Share whose Share-mold, as I may call it, is made as long as the Head should have been, & is of the same use as the plough-head is of, & is made of two smal slips, not so heavy as the Head would be, & there being no head at all, the Land-handle is put into the Share-mould with an iron pin, and so is the plough-sheath also, and there fixed fast with an iron pin, and the Share forward made like ano∣theher Share; and then just before the Breast-plate is a hole made through the Share, and there is rivetted, or else with an iron hook put into a long iron slipe, which is made an inch, or inch and half broad, and so comes up to the beam just before the nose of the Shield board, and so runs through it, and is cottered upon the top of the Beam lying upon the Shield board, and the Shield board is compassed a little hollow in the very breast, and so from before the middle, begins to whelm and wind towards the furrow, and so winds more and more to the very end, and this Breast-board is placed close upon the Share, which is made with a long point, and broad or narrow phin, as the land re∣quires; and sometimes, and any time any ordinary Pan de Share may bee used, and placed upon a Head as other ploughs are; either with a narrow point for gravell or stoniness, or with a broader Phin, and long sharp point, for mixed, sandy earthy Land, as well as that fashioned Share, and be of the same use as I conceive.

The Pitch of these Ploughs are about, or above two foot in depth, and about eight or nine inches in wide∣ness: This alway carefully observe that the uprighter you pitch your plough to goe the narrower, and the more hanging, the broader. As for the depth, I conceive it is not much materiall, because it is born up from the false beam till it come to a true working pitch; and in the false beam is planted an Iron Axeltree, about one inch or a little more in bigness, and about one foot long nine or ten inches

before the end of the false beam, and put in square into the beam, that it may stick fast; and at the other end of the Axeltree runs a wheel upon it, about eighteen or twenty Inches, or may be a little higher, or lower, as you please, which guides the plough from that false beam, that it can∣not sting or draw into the ground, & so is drawn at the end of that false beam, either with Horse or Oxen, with Cock or Clevies, as you have occasion or do desire; but because this plough cannot be fully discovered by the most familiar dis∣course, but will require the Figure also I will here give ye it, as near to the life as possibles.

That which is the Standard, fastned in the lower beam, and runs through the over, to gage the plough, is made near two foot high, and in the over end is made two holes to put the Horse-raine throngh, to come from the Horse head to the very plough handles, to guide him to and fro, and under them divers removing holes, and one or two in the beam equall to those in the Standard, and an Iron pin put through them both. This plough neatly made, and very small hath been drawn with one horse, and held by one man, and plowed one Acre a day at sowing time in a moyst season; and as Collonell Blunt hath related to me, he hath with six good horses six men, and six ploughs, plowed six Acres a day at sowing rime, in light well wrought Land.

The Figure expect with his fellows.

Notes

• Plough-beam.
• Wheel plows described.
• Plough-sheath
• Plough head.
• Plough-wheels
• The Turn-wrest plough.
• The single wheel plough.