| The bow ard is the weaker, narrower, and probably earlier of the two. |
| Row seeding can already be achieved using a ploughshare or an ard as a furrow opener and hand metering while dropping the seeds into the furrow. |
| The ard is not suited for clearing new land, so grass and undergrowth are usually removed with hoes or mattocks. |
| In fact, the ard may have been invented in the Near East to cover seed rather than till. |
| Third is the seed drill ard, used specifically in Mesopotamia, which added a funnel for dropping seed in the furrows as the ard cut them. |
| The ard's shallow furrows are ideal for most cereals, and if the seed is sown broadcast, the ard can be used to cover the seed in rows. |
