WORTHY OF A TRIAL.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume II, Issue 125, 25 June 1881, Page 4

WORTHY OF A TRIAL.

The Queenslander says that all farmers engaged in ploughing new ground should use the spring-link, first made public in the Age by Mr. J. Ridley, of Albury :— " Take a piece of octagon steel (such as chisels or punches are made of) |in thick, flatten and draw out each end to a tapering point; bend to almost the shape of a common link, or more correctly, to that of a link cut in two at one end. If properly done the two ends should just meet. For use, the link is placed m the shackle where the draughtchain is fixed; the S hook of the swingle trees is hooked in the link, and the draught is thus from the link. The draught chain of the plough should also be caught in the same S

hook of the swingle-trees, but the .^chain ought to be some 12in. longer than the spring link. As soon as the plough strikes a root the S hook pulls through the spring-link, and so eaves a breakage, and the loose

chain fastened to it hinders the

swingle-trees from reaching the horses' heels." We adopted this suggestion when it was first made public, and found it, after breaking up ten acnes of rooty land, to be a great saving of little accidents. We also used it on a grubber and

cultivator, and bo saved twisting the tines.