ON THE PLOUGH. 49

becaufe the* crooked handle is longer in -itfelf than the ftreight one, that therefore it is more advantageous.‘This feems rather a difadvantage; becaufe, the longer it is, it will be the lefs able to bear the fame preflure.

It only remains that I make fome obfer- vations on the length and pofition of the fheat. The chief ufe of it, is to connect all the parts of the plough together; and, in this view, the fhorter and more inclined it— is, it muft be the ftronger.

Its proper length will be determined by the depth of the furrow intended to be made; for its length muft be always as much greater than that depth, as will allow the point of the beam to move at a conveni- ent height above the furface. Longer, how- ever, it needs not be; and it fhould never be made-longer than is neceflary; for a{mall addition to the length will make it fuffer much more in point of ftrength, than in proportion to that addition. It muft be ob- ferved, that what has now been faid of the length of the fheat, refpeéts only its perpen- dicular height, not its actual length, as mea-

G fured

* See fig. 5.