Implements of Hufbandry. 3

of employing, however imperfeét they may be, in preference to fuch as have been re- cently invented orimproved.‘This, in fome cafes too, may probably arife from the want of capacity inthe farming labourer to make ufe of new tools with eafe and con- venience to himfelf; and in others from farmers themfelves being frequently unac- quainted with the inftrumental improvements that have been made, or not fufliciently convinced of the advantages that may refult from the ufe of them.

In the conftruction of every fort of tool for the purpofes of farming, as the chief objects ought to be the rendering the bufinefs of hufbandry more complete, eafy, and expeditious, and the introduction of a fyftem of economy in refpe& to the labour that neceffarily attends it, great care fhould be taken that they be well adapted to the purpofe for which they are intended, and not unneceflarily heavy, while they pof- fefs fufficient ftrength and firmnefs for the various ufes to which they may be applied. It is well obferved in an ingenious and interefting periodical publication, that there are no fort of implements that admit of greater improvement than thofe of hufbandry, on the principle of diminifhing weight without in any degree abating ftrength.“ Every man knows,” fays the author,“ that if a.beam of any length be made of equal thick- nefs throughout its whole length, and a weight fufficient laid upon it, it will inevita- bly break in the middle, and never at either of the ends; yet, unlefs it be in the poles of a fedan chair, he can fcarcely recolleét an inftance in which weight has been diminifhed upon this principle. On the contrary, it is not at all unufual, in the conftruction of fuch implements, to fee the thicknefs diminifhed nearly one half at the very weakeft place by means of a mortife cut out in it there, while its thick- nefs in other places is four times greater than would enable it to bear an equal burden. No attention is paid to placing the wood in that pofition wherein it would be beft able to refift the preffure to which it muft neceflarily be fubjeGted; although it is very well known, that the fame quantity of materials may be made to bear in one po- fition above ¢en times as much as it could do in another. It is well known, that mortifes weaken the wood to an aftonifhing degree when injudicioufly placed; yet it is no uncommon thing to fee two crofs-mortifes, each of them of twice the fize that in any cafe could have been neceflary, made through a beam perhaps at the very weakeft parts of it, juft as accident may dire&, without even an attempt to vary their pofition, far lefs to avoid them entirely, which in many cafes might be done without the leaft inconvenience. It is well known that a fmall brace, judicioufly ap- plied, may greatly augment the ftrength without adding to the weight of an imple- ment; yet contrivances of this kind, which are obvious to the mereft tyro in mechanics, feem to be totally difregarded; far lefs do the conftruétors of fuch tools: think of adopting new devices of this fort, which a very moderate degree of inge- auity might eafily fuggeft. The importance of having every part firm and compact,