Sokha

In the region of Russia, a sokha ( _ru. соха) was a light wooded plough which could be pulled by one horse. The historic sources show that it was in use in Russia at least since the 13th century. It's origin was in north Russia, for example Novgorod. [http://bibliotekar.ru/rusNovgorod/86.htm] [http://www.kroka.ru/html/s/soha.html]

A characteristic feature of its construction is the bifurcated plowing tip (рассоха), so that a sokha has two plowshares, later made of metal, which cut the soil. Sokha is an evolution of a scratch-plough by an addition of a spade-like detail which turns the cut soil over. (In regular ploughs the curved mouldboard both cuts and turns the soil.) Other details of construction may vary.

References

* George Vernadsky. A History of Russia. (Yale University Press, 1969) (ISBN 0-300-00247-5).