His hand guides the plough, and the plough his thoughts, and his ditch and land-mark is the very mound of his meditations.

If, as seems probable, the steam-plough of Fawkes shall become a success, the revolution in farming will be complete.

The plough is simply a sharpened stick covered with iron.

The hoe is the instrument to be used on this occasion, and then the plough; the latter operation is repeated twice; two double ploughings are the death of weeds, and the life of the plants; the first takes place when the corn is from six to eight inches high, and the second, about the middle of July, or earlier, when the plants are about a foot and a half high, or from that to two feet.