field, but he granted the privilege readily. Our furrow was not as well turned as his, nor as well as we could have done with a two-handled Oliver or John Deere, but it was better than the old man had expected and won his respect.
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Fig. 122.—A Shantung plow, simple but effective.
This plow had a good steel point, as a separate, blunt,
V-shaped piece, and a mold board of cast steel with a good
twist which turned the soil well. The standard and sole
were of wood and at the end of the beam was a block for
gauging the depth of furrow. The cost of this plow, to
the farmer, was $2.15, gold, and when the day's work is
done it is taken home on the shoulders, even though the
distance may be a mile or more, and carefully housed.
Chinese history states that the plow was invented by
Shennung, who lived 2737-2697 B. C. and “taught the
art of agriculture and the medical use of herbs”. He is
honored as the “God of Agriculture and Medicine.”
Through my interpreter we learned that there were twelve in this man's family, which he maintained on fifteen mow of land, or 2.5 acres, together with his team, consisting of a cow and small donkey, besides feeding two pigs.
