You know what? When I first heard “Plough Sword and Book” popping up on farmer forums again, I rolled my eyes. Ancient tools? Seriously? But stuff hit the fan on my own patch this season. Water costs skyrocketed, that cheap imported fertilizer turned out to be junk, and the weird weather messed up my usual planting schedule. Felt stuck, damn stuck. So, figured, what the hell? Dig out grandpa’s old Plough Sword booklet collecting dust and give it a real shot. Here’s how it went down, step by damn step.
The Rusty Start
Found that thick “Book” pamphlet tucked inside a broken toolbox in the shed. Cover was faded, pages felt brittle. Cracked it open – mostly handwritten notes, drawings that looked like kid’s scribbles, and dirt stains everywhere. Felt hopeless. But desperation makes you stubborn. Took the actual Plough Sword tool itself off the shed wall. Heavy beast, handle splintered, blade crusted with years of rust. Spent a whole morning just scrubbing that thing with sandpaper and old engine oil till my fingers cramped. Didn’t look pretty, but the edge felt sharp again. Barely.
Flipping Pages in the Dirt
Didn’t wait. Took the book and sword straight out to the back forty. Problem #1 staring at me: compacted soil near the irrigation ditch. Hard as rock. The book had this section called “Breaking Earth’s Back.” Sounded dramatic. Basically said: use the sword point-first, not like a shovel. Angle it low, jam it in hard where it’s cracked, then rock it side-to-side like prying open a lid. Skeptical. Stabbed it in, leaned my weight – heard a nasty crack. Thought I snapped the blade. Nope. That was the damn soil giving way! Dug half the trench section that afternoon, just with sweat and leverage. Felt weirdly powerful.
Next trial came fast. Weeds choking the pumpkin rows. Herbicide is expensive and smells awful. The book’s “Root Severing Trick”: Slide the flat blade parallel to the ground, right under the weed’s base. Then a quick flick upwards. Sounds simple. Took practice. Sliced off a few pumpkin seedlings early on (oops), but figured it out. Blade cuts the taproot clean underground, doesn’t disturb the soil much. Didn’t need spray. Didn’t waste water washing it off.
The “Book” Wasn’t Just Farming
This is where it got surprising. Later chapters? Pure gold when the world feels upside down. Example: detailed record pages. Forced me to actually write down prices I was offered for beans at market each week. Just scribbles in the margin at first. Then I saw the pattern: Joe down the road was always lowballing on Fridays. Started holding my stock back until Tuesday. Small win? Maybe. But lunch tasted better.
Another bit was “Marking Boundaries Clearly.” Old Mr. Jenkins keeps ‘accidentally’ grazing his goats near my west fence. The book said: use the sword point to scratch deep lines in the earth at the property edge, then pile stones on it. Simple. Physical. Did it with my kid. Next time Jenkins’ goats wandered close? He saw the line, saw the rocks, called them back himself. Saved me that awkward argument. Felt satisfying.
Why It Actually Stuck (5 Big Reasons)
So, why bother with old junk? Here’s why it damn well matters now:
- Kills Costs Dead: Replaced a leaky hose coupler? Used the sword’s heavy pommel to hammer it tight. Saved ordering a part and waiting days while my seedbed dried out.
- Weatherproof: Storm knocked out power for the automatic gate? Manual latch busted. Sword blade fitted into the mechanism just right to pry it open. Got the truck out to fetch fuel. Electricity be damned.
- No Fancy Stuff Needed: Calculating compost mix ratios? Book had a hand-measure trick using my own boot print depth and the sword handle length. Weird? Yeah. Accurate? Actually worked.
- Builds Toughness: Using it builds muscle you didn’t know you had. Lifting feed sacks feels easier now. Swinging it digs trenches and frustration. Two birds.
- Stops People Walking Over You: Like with Jenkins. That clear boundary matters more than ever. Shows you mean business without shouting. Quiet respect.
Not Magic, Just… Sense
Listen, it ain’t gonna fix global prices or bring rain. But staring at a cracked foundation in my barn wall this morning? Guess what. Book had a trick using the sword as a plumb line and level combined. Saved hiring a surveyor for a quick patch job. It’s grit. It’s using your hands and brain before your wallet. Everything feels chaotic, expensive, out of control? The Plough Sword and Book feels like finally grabbing the damn steering wheel. Heavy? Yeah. Tough? Definitely. Worth keeping sharp? Damn right.