>From: Alex Ferguson <abf_at_cs.ucc.ie>
>They do have different ploughs, though really, the variable here is
>size of field! I agree, it does seem a compelling and handy unit
>though, whatever its actual size. (Perhaps Odaylans and DH paddy
>farmers might disagree...)
Wrong way round, the size of the field is determined by how long a furrow the farmer can plow without stopping (Once he stops the oxen or horses will start trampling the newly ploughed land down which is better at the end of the field than in the middle). That of course is depends on the plough and also the type of soil. I can't imagine an army officer using a farmers measurement though - a half days march would make more sense than 100 furlongs. That would be a fairly precise distance for a regular army unit, much less so for the local militia.
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