The Book of Farm Implements and Machines (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1858 Excerpt: ...of the following particulars, each of which is simple in the extreme: --(1.) The collar around the horse's neck, to serve as a padding to protect his shoulders from being injured by the draught It is stuffed with wheat-straw, faced with neat's leather, and lined with rug THE PLODaa-ILlDI V POLE cloth, and provided with a cape to fend the rain off from the shoulders of the horse, which would thereby be heated and blistered in the draught. The collar weighs about 15 lb., and costs 1. (2.) Embracing a groove in the anterior part of the collar are the haims or hames, composed commonly of two pieces of wood curved towards their lower extremities, where they are attached together by means of a hook and short chain; and their upper extremities are held tight by means of a leather strap and buckle. The haims are provided on each side with an iron hook, to which the draught-chains are linked. When covered with plate-iron, haims weigh 7 lb., and cost 5s. 6d. (3.) Light chains, called trace-chains, are fastened at one end to the hooks of the haims in the collar, and at the other to the swing-trees of the plough, for enabling the horses to draw the plough: they weigh 8 lb., and cost 7d. per lb. (4.) The chains are prevented falling down in the middle by the back-band, a broad strap of leather which passes over the horse's back, and is padded over the chine: it weighs about 3 lb., and costs 8s. (5.) The bridle is on the horse's head, and has blinders: the bit is most conveniently removed by means of a small strap and buckle at one of its ends: the bridle, of good leather, weighs 4 lb., and costs 10s. (6.) It will be observed in Plate VI., fig. 2, that the ploughman guides the horses by means of plough-reins, made of rein-rope, which pass from the stilts of th...