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This is an iron ploughshare from a Devon 'halving plough'. The share consists of a blade with a left-raised coulter, blade, and reinforcing panel. 'Halving' was a method of controlling creeping grasses and weeds by only turning over half the ground - a shallow furrow was turned over on top of a similar width of undistrubed land, and the furrows left for a few weeks to rot. The ploughshare came from Southdown Farm in Broadwood Kelly, Devon, where the donor's family had farmed for about 200 years.

MERL ‘History Artefacts’ card – ‘Object name: Plough, Devon, share // … // Description: Share consists of a blade with left-hand raised coulter; rect[angular] sect[ion] shaft with reinforcing panel at its juncture with blade; & large wing-nut & screw attachment at the opposite end. // The reinforcing panel is of one piece with the shaft and takes a fan-shape between the coulter & upper edge of the share blade. It is attached by four rivets, but has four other holes abo corresponding to holes in blade (rivets missing?).’, Letter, T. W. W. Jones, North Tawton District Advisory Officer, Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food to MERL, 4 December 1964 – ‘Dear Mr. Jewell // Halving Plough Share // Mr. A. J. Brown [Deputy County Advisory Officer, MAFF] sent me a copy of his letter to you and I have been making enquiries about the plough share. // The operation of halving was a method of controlling creeping grasses and weeds in “errishes” (the local name for corn stubbles), and in removing a grass sward prior to cropping. This might be done form the summer onwards for winter wheat, and in the autumn and winter for potatoes. In this process only half the ground was turned over. A furrow about three inches deep was turned over on top of a similar width of undisturbed land, as shown in the following diagram. That is, only half the land was turned over. // [pencil sketch] // The furrows were left for a few weeks to rot and were then worked out with a cultivator and chain harrows, then the turf, if dry, was burnt or ploughed under. // Another system, very similar, was called “skirting”. A narrower share was used for this and sometimes 2–3 furrow ploughs. A shallow furrow, only an inch if possible, was turned and with this method all land was moved. Again turf was worked about and then burnt or ploughed in. // These methods seem to have been in use up to about thirty years ago, and apparently more prevalent on lighter land, where turf did not rot as rapidly and couch was more trouble than on heavier clay land. // The share came from Southdown Farm, Broadwoodkelly, where [the donor’s] people farmed for about two-hundred years. Apparently it was found last year in an old “Round House” which had fallen in some forty years ago. … [The donor] wondered if the plough body and beam was of wood. // … // Yours sincerely, T. W. W. Jones’