TYPES OF PLOUGHING

Ploughing is still the prime job in cultivating the earth and, despite this high technological and computerised age, the basic design of the plough remains largely unchanged since medieval times. There are several types of plough but all are based on the same principle, with share, coulter and mouldboard. The `Digger' plough has a short mouldboard and an acute curve causing the furrow slice to rise steeply and accelerate thereby shattering the soil. This is known as `broken furrow' work.

The more common type of plough is the `general purpose' with a longer and shallower and more gently curved mouldboard. This will lay up furrows in the `Whole Furrow' fashion.

By far the most intricate style of ploughing is the `High Cut' or `Oat Seed Furrow'. The plough has a very long convex mouldboard with a gentle twist and uses special shares to set up narrow, high crested furrow slices. In competition this plough is set within tolerances of a quarter of an inch.

Ploughing Matches have been part of the rural scene since time immemorial and in the early days a champion ploughman could expect a better wage than his fellows. Competition was keen and made for accurate plough setting. Plough manufacturers saw the advantages of scientific design that would decrease the physical effort. Today we see a continuance of this search for perfection and Plough Match judges look critically for furrows that are perfectly straight, evenly matched, and completely level. The judges will mark each plot up to a possible 200 points, divided into five sections of a maximum of 40 points each.

The START of CROWN should be straight and level with no gap between the first two opposing furrows. FIRMNESS is very important; the work should not be hollow or puffy and there should be no `holes' between the furrow slices. The SEEDBED is judged by the quantity of soil presented by the plough on each furrow slice. The work should not be flat, neither should any stubble or trash be visible between the furrows. GENERAL APPEARANCE of the ploughed plot should be straight, uniform and perfectly matched furrows of equal width and even depth. The FINISH should be straight, narrow and shallow. This is probably the most difficult part to perform since the work must be brought to a conclusion perfectly parallel.

HIGH CUT PLOUGHING

To enable the spectators at today's Match to better understand what is going on, a little detail of the `High Cut' Class may be helpful.

Competitors, some of whom have travelled 100 miles or so, will arrive early at the site to give sufficient time to off load their tackle, collect their plot numbers from the Secretary and make their way to the starting pegs. There they will painstakingly set up their three sighting poles and await briefing by the Class Steward. He will remind them of the rules and in particular the depth of ploughing.

On the signal to start, the ploughs will be put into the ground for the first time today, since no practicing on the site is allowed. The Ploughmen will concentrate on drawing the straightest possible `scratch furrows'; these will be used as a base for the crown. These first shallow furrows will give some indication of the nature of the land and will suggest the type of share that should be used. The style of work is greatly influenced by the lift on the wing of the share.

One of the most difficult parts of the match is to get the first four furrows of the Crown level and matching. You will see the Competitors constantly making adjustments to the width and depth of their ploughing and at this stage they will be using one furrow only, the front body running idle so as to mould the previous furrow slice if necessary.

Having completed the Crown of six furrows each side, the ploughman will measure the width of the land between his own work and that of his neighbor. He will want this parallel since this is the area he will plough to complete his plot.

You will notice how slowly the work proceeds. The reason for this is to keep the furrows as unbroken and intact as possible. The object of `High Cut' ploughing as devised very many years ago, was to enable grain to be broadcast by hand on tightly packed and high crested ploughing, so that with a single stroke of horse harrows across the furrows, the seed was buried at a uniform depth. It would then grow through in drills 7 or 8 inches apart. This style of ploughing is so precise that under ideal conditions, and remembering that the corn was broadcast, the emerging crop could be hoed.

As the Ploughman nears the finish, he will shallow up an inch or so from the previous 6 inch depth. He will also make frequent measurements of the remaining land so as to keep the work parallel, otherwise he may leave an ugly short furrow and find it difficult to finish straight.

GLOSSARY OF PLOUGHING DEFINITIONS

Semi-digger Ploughing:

Semi-digger ploughing is a broken, rounded furrow, which can be easily worked down into a tilth. The semi-digger plough has a slightly concaved mouldboard.

Whole Work:

Whole work is an unbroken furrow not turned over as much as a semi digger furrow. The whole furrow plough has a slightly convex mould-board.

Oat Seed Furrow (otherwise known as high cut):

A type of ploughing upon which seed could be sown by hand. The oat seed furrows are narrow and tightly packed together in the shape of equilateral triangles. The plough has a long mould-board with a gentle turn.

General Purpose Ploughing:

A type of ploughing which is adaptable to lea, stubble or root crops.

Crown (otherwise known as ridge middle, crop or centre):

This is where the ploughing is started with the furrows facing each other done in different directions.

Finish (otherwise known as furrow or rein):

Constitutes the last three rounds in the centre of the ploughing where the ploughman finishes his plot.

Furrow:

The space left when the mould-board has turned the soil over.  

Headland:

The land upon which the ploughman turns round in order to plough in the opposite direction.

PARTS OF THE PLOUGH

Mould-board (otherwise known as the breast):

The mould-board is the part of the plough which turns over the soil.

Share:

The principle cutting part of the plough, fitted to the front of the mouldboard, making the horizontal cut of the furrow. The type of share varies with different types of ploughing.

Tailpiece:

A flat piece of metal extending beyond the end of the mould-board to ensure the soil is well turned.

Coulter:

A knife or cutter attached to the frame of plough ahead of the mould-board, which makes the vertical cut in the furrow.

Disc:

A thin flat revolving disc used instead of a coulter.

Skimmer:

A miniature plough fixed to the side of the disc, set to skim a shallow furrow in line with the disc, so that when the furrow is turned all the grass or stubble is covered.

Boats or Press Wheels:

These are not part of the plough but are subsidiary pieces of equipment used on the upturned furrow as an aid to improving its appearance and perfecting its shape (used in oat seed furrow).

D.S Reade