Some of the competitors are meticulous and take a great deal of time to plow a furrow while others are quicker, and on occasion, not as neat.

As the plowed part of the plot widens, the plowmen start measuring to see how many cuts they need to finish the plot.

Judges award points in five categories - split, crown, general appearance, finish and general work.

A competitor can receive a maximum of 200 points.

In the split category, straightness accounts for five pomts while the cut and uniformity are worth 10 points.

Straightness is also worth five points in the crown category. Burying all grass and stubble is worth 10 points while closeness and uniformity are also worth 10 points.

The furrows must be six inches deep. Competitors can lose points if the furrows are too close or too far apart, and if any grass or weeds are left showing in the furrows or at the starts and fmishes.

Straightness is worth another five points in the general appearance category. Neat, even starts and finishes are worth 10 points, as is conformity. The shape of the land is worth 20 points.

35 POINTS

A proper finish is worth 35 points, based on straightness, neatness, weed control, shallowness and narrowness. The general work category includes burying grass and stubble, closeness and packing and uniformity with no holes in the land.

At Thursday's official opening provincial Agriculture Minister MinIster Prowse Chappell said the plowing is an art perfected over the years by (Island) farmers and plowmen."

"It is nice to see that we still have plowmen in our province that can compete nationally and internationally," the minister said.

He added that fairs like Dundas depict what lsland agriculture and the province's way of life are all about.

Plowing match prseident Raymond Acorn praised the work of the show's board of dIrectors and workers, some of whom have been with the show for its entire 45-year history.

"There would not be a show without them," he added.

Copyright
Waldron H. Leard