Editing Plough (section)

====Parts====
There are five major parts of a mouldboard plough:
#Mouldboard
#Share
#Landside (short or long)
#Frog (sometimes called a standard)
#Tailpiece

The '''share''', landside and mould board are bolted to the frog, which is an irregular piece of cast iron at the base of the plough body, to which the soil-wearing parts are bolted.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Animal Drawn Plough {{!}} Definition, Equipment Features & Uses {{!}} Golden Crop |url=https://www.rgexim.com/animal-drawn-plough/ |access-date=2023-06-02 |website=www.rgexim.com |language=en}}</ref>

The share is the edge that makes the horizontal cut to separate the furrow slice from the soil below. Conventional shares are shaped to penetrate soil efficiently: the tip is pointed downward to pull the share into the ground to a regular depth. The clearance, usually referred to as suction or down suction, varies with different makes and types of plough. Share configuration is related to soil type, particularly in the down suction or concavity of its lower surface. Generally three degrees of clearance or down suction are recognised: regular for light soil, deep for ordinary dry soil, and double-deep for clay and gravelly soils.<ref>{{Cite web |title=tillage {{!}} Definition, Types, Equipment, Practices, Importance, & Facts {{!}} Britannica |url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/tillage |access-date=2022-11-08 |website=www.britannica.com |language=en}}</ref>

As the share wears away, it becomes blunt and the plough will require more power to pull it through the soil. A plough body with a worn share will not have enough "suck" to ensure it delves the ground to its full working depth.

[[File:Traditional Filipino water buffalo plows.png|thumb|Two types of traditional Filipino [[water buffalo]]-drawn ploughs used for rice-farming (1873)<ref name="Jagor">{{Cite book |last1=Jagor |first1=Fedor |title=Reisen in den Philippinen |date=1873 |publisher=Weidmannsche Buchhandlung |location=Berlin |url=http://www.gutenberg.org/files/53322/53322-h/53322-h.htm}}</ref>]]

In addition, the share has horizontal suction related to the amount its point is bent out of line with the land side. Down suction causes the plough to penetrate to proper depth when pulled forward, while horizontal suction causes the plough to create the desired width of furrow. The share is a plane part with a trapezoidal shape. It cuts the soil horizontally and lifts it. Common types are regular, winged-plane, bar-point, and share with mounted or welded point. The regular share conserves a good cut but is recommended on stone-free soils. The winged-plane share is used on heavy soil with a moderate amount of stones. The bar-point share can be used in extreme conditions (hard and stony soils). The share with a mounted point is somewhere between the last two types. Makers have designed shares of various shapes (trapesium, diamond, etc.) with bolted point and wings, often separately renewable. Sometimes the share-cutting edge is placed well in advance of the mould board to reduce the pulverizing action of the soil.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Farm Machinery and Equipment-I: Lesson 8. Study of mould board plough: accessories, adjustments, operation and material of construction Mould Board Ploughs |url=http://ecoursesonline.iasri.res.in/mod/page/view.php?id=125367#:~:text=g)%20Throat:,the%20throat%20of%20the%20share. |access-date=2023-07-05 |website=ecoursesonline.iasri.res.in}}</ref>

The '''mould board''' is the part of the plough that receives the furrow slice from the share.<ref name="Britannica"/> It is responsible for lifting and turning the furrow slice and sometimes for shattering it, depending on the type of mould board, ploughing depth and soil conditions. The intensity of this depends on the type of mould board. To suit different soil conditions and crop requirements, mould boards have been designed in different shapes, each producing its own furrow profile and surface finish, but essentially they still conform to the original plough body classification. The various types have been traditionally classified as general purpose, digger, and semi-digger, as described below.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Muth |first=Reannon |title=The 7 Types of Excavators: Which One Should You Choose? |url=https://www.heavyequipmentrentals.com/about/news/types-of-excavators |access-date=2023-07-05 |website=www.heavyequipmentrentals.com |language=en}}</ref>

*The general-purpose mould board. This has a low draft body with a gentle, cross-sectional convex curve from top to bottom, which turns a furrow three parts wide by two parts deep, e. g. {{convert|300|mm|abbr=on}} wide by {{convert|200|mm|abbr=on}} deep. It turns the furrow slice slowly almost without breaking it, and is normally used for shallow ploughing (maximum {{convert|200|mm|abbr=on}} depth). It is useful for grassland ploughing and sets up the land for weathering by winter frosts, which reduces the time taken to prepare a seedbed for spring sown crops.{{citation needed|date=February 2022}}
*The digger mould board is short, abruptly curved with a concave cross-section both from top to bottom and from shin to tail. It turns the furrow slice rapidly, giving maximum shatter, deeper than its width. It is normally used for very deep ploughing ({{convert|300|mm|abbr=on}} deep or more). It has a higher power requirement and leaves a very broken surface. Digger ploughs are mainly used for land for potatoes and other root crops.{{citation needed|date=February 2022}}
*The semi-digger mould board is somewhat shorter than the general-purpose mould board, but with a concave cross-section and a more abrupt curve. Being intermediate between the two mould boards described above, it has a performance that comes in between (approximately {{convert|250|mm|abbr=on}} deep), with less shattering than the digger mouldboard. It turns an almost square-sectioned furrow and leaves a more broken surface finish. Semi-digger mould boards can be used at various depths and speeds, which suits them for most of the general ploughing on a farm.{{citation needed|date=February 2022}}
*In addition, slatted mould boards are preferred by some farmers, though they are a less common type. They consist of a number of curved steel slats bolted to the frog along the length of the mould board, with gaps between the slats. They tend to break up the soil more than a full mould board and improve soil movement across the mould board when working in sticky soils where a solid mould board does not scour well.{{citation needed|date=February 2022}}

[[File:Steel plough, Emly.jpg|thumb|A steel plough]]
The '''land side '''is the flat plate which presses against and transmits the lateral thrust of the plough bottom to the furrow wall. It helps to resist the side pressure exerted by the furrow slice on the mould board. It also helps to stabilise the plough while in operation. The rear bottom end of the landslide, which rubs against the furrow sole, is known as the heel. A heel iron is bolted to the end of the rear of the land side and helps to support the back of the plough. The land side and share are arranged to give a "lead" towards the unploughed land, so helping to sustain the correct furrow width. The land side is usually made of solid medium-carbon steel and is very short, except at the rear bottom of the plough. The heel or rear end of the rear land side may be subject to excessive wear if the rear wheel is out of adjustment, and so a chilled iron heel piece is frequently used. This is inexpensive and can be easily replaced. The land side is fastened to the frog by plough bolts.{{citation needed|date=February 2022}}

The '''frog''' (standard) is the central part of the plough bottom to which the other components of the bottom are attached. It is an irregular piece of metal, which may be made of cast iron for cast iron ploughs or welded steel for steel ploughs. The frog is the foundation of the plough bottom. It takes the shock resulting from hitting rocks, and therefore should be tough and strong. The frog is in turn fastened to the plough frame.{{citation needed|date=February 2022}}

A '''runner''' extending from behind the share to the rear of the plough controls the direction of the plough, because it is held against the bottom land-side corner of the new furrow being formed. The holding force is the weight of the sod, as it is raised and rotated, on the curved surface of the mould board. Because of this runner, the mould board plough is harder to turn around than the scratch plough, and its introduction brought about a change in the shape of fields{{snd}}from mostly square fields into longer rectangular "strips" (hence the introduction of the [[furlong]]).{{citation needed|date=February 2022}}