Following The Plow

Enlarge Image Image Gallery SPECIAL NOTE: This is the second half of a two-part article. The first segment of this piece appeared in MOTHER NO. 26.

THE WALKING PLOW

The plow—the basic tool of the farmer and large-scale gardener—breaks and pulverizes the ground and adds humus and fertility by covering the vegetation and manure. Plowing helps the soil to hold its precious moisture and circulates the air. (Did you know the earth has to "breathe" to be productive? Although I didn't realize it until recently, the land is very much alive and teeming with organisms that can't be seen with the naked eye.)

Walking plows were produced B.T. (before tractors) in many styles to meet a wide variety of soil conditions. There are still a few handmade wooden models around. One of our neighbors has a full set which he said his father built and made many a crop with. I'd like to have met the old gentleman, since I'm dead certain it takes an even-tempered soul with a zeal for finishing what he starts—and a mighty sharp drawknife, too—to make wooden plows from the shares to the handles.

Nevertheless, American farmers back in 1797 frowned on the first cast-iron plows. They believed that the metal would poison the land, reduce fertility and promote the growth of weeds . . . and that the point of the share would soon wear off. How about that?

The first plow with a really good interchangeable cast-iron moldboard, landside and standard or frog (see glossary) was patented by John Jethro Wood in 1819.

We have three plows and a planter on our place, and they're sufficient to raise all the food we need for us and our animals. Most of these implements belonged to Theo's family and have been around for many years. They've had to have new handles but—old as they are-they're still good enough to make a crop.

THE TURNING PLOW: If we could have but one plow, this is the one it would be. It breaks open and mixes the sod and turns the earth up to greet the warm sun.

THE MIDDLEBREAKER: Also known as "middlebuster" or "lister", this plow is designed to turn a furrow of dirt each way, bust out a ridge or bed up a new row for planting in one operation. We don't use ours very often.

THE GEORGIA STOCK: This versatile plow is the one you work your crops with. It has interchangeable "sweeps" and shares for cultivating different sizes and kinds of vegetables.

THE PLANTER: We found our Cole planter a while back in a small country general store where it had been some 20 years. The owner sold it to us, still shiny new, for the same price it would have brought originally: $40.00. These gadgets are very difficult to find now and any that you locate should cost $85.00 at the least. We felt very lucky when we bought ours, because this little machine is a dandy. You just fill its hopper with seeds (any kind that aren't very tiny) and they're dispersed and covered all in one operation. This is a great way to plant ten acres of corn and several pea patches.