Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1850-10-18
rRIAL on wHEAT DRILLS.
go - sPlRlr s. IkrrrRsoS


Saturday, the 9Th Of October. being The day
fixed upon the Committee, appointed BY the Vals
ley Agricultural Society, 70 make an experiment.
with lie varioas Drills now in use lhFcughous
the country, its members according 70 notice mes
Oh thai day on the farm Of l,sssIs ". WAsIiISef
10y, Esq, the President Of the 5oelety- There
were present i've dtils-two from ghAtlestowus
ne belonging 10 Dawn +. RuHs, the etherito
4 GKRvIs s. GARDNER one from the neighborhOod
OF Ieetown owned BY JAcoB WAGELY, ltnosni6s
Deil's patent lone from Chester county, Penn
sylvania, owned BY s. s. NJ. PESNoeK; and enc
ffom Boonsborki, Maryland, owned BY Mr.. BEAhI.y4-
The drill of Mr.. Rohr was drawn by one horse
and was worked upon single wheel, having i've
sleeves or shoes, two in front and three in the !
rear--cos, Of machine S25. It appears 20 be
fair machinefor the price, and ii IS sAidto spe-
Gale well. The next was the drill Of Mr. Gard,
uer, made Of wrought iron, sirong,and substan-
( tia well adapted to rough and stony land with
some slight alteration in the constructed OF tho
4 hoe, will bf hard 70 beat. The operation Of dis
charging tie grain Is pefeet-t beings always
ia full view Of tie operator, so that j is always
diseetnabld TO The eve when the machine is NOT
operating. lIt is drawn By two horses and is made
with elhedfve or seven hoes 1t The distance Of s
nine lnehe1 apart and placed, as I'D the former
machine tIvo id front and three in the rear ]
price S5e- The next in rotation comes the ma I
ehineIof Nh. Jacob Wagely, Of I.eetawn, Deil's
patent This machine is very similar To- Pen
nock's il being rather simpler ia constructions.
The great difference is that the hoes are acted
upon by a spring calculated to bear ID pounds
upon the hoe 50 as to make il retain its position
10 the Garth; this machine discharges - gram .
hy a simple round roller with springs inserted IN. =
t6 il 10 prevent il from choking with white caps or
strawk. i beleve this machine operated TO the
satisfaction 81 every one, II having the advantage
ef a very iagsnchs and skillal operator Ahls
- y. lA e IL lsfaN, 10 m
sidered by all a cord o0s--price $40. lteperates
With seven hoes all in line, and plants me gram
with great accuracy relieving itself At all times
fton hlih, elods OF stones.
THE next in rotation was the famous aud well
! known drill OF s, g. NJ. Pennock, ofl Chester
county, PENNSYLVANIA. This drill was gotten up
n most elegant Style and does great credit to the
manulacturer-it was made Of cured maple,
/ walnut, ash, and white oak, and simply varnish-
4 Ill itlooked more like peice Oh furniture for the
parlor than for the fallow field. Ths>dril is an
4 Improvement upon the former drill Of Alessrs.
4 Penuock. The seed roller is so constructed that
Nv simply turning one screw, the size OF all the
grain cavities are increased or diminished TO sow
more or less as may be desired The cavities
are Of a spiral form thus keeping up continuous
dropping dfthe grain, and il can in moment by
! lille simple turning Of a screw, be made 10 plaut
corn oats, wheat, turnips, ruta baga, or any
bthef Seed. The grain hopper on this machine
is tfereni sromany other machnespf the kind,
Il can be instantly detached from The machine
without the use Of either hammer screw, wrench
br any mechanical instrument whatever, which
+ BY some would De considered a great desidera4
lam. instantly eThptying and changing the gram
ID tie hopper. The depositing tubes are 50 con-
strUei6d as to free themselves from any 0hstruc.
ton inI opsratibg--the cansaso be detached in
stantlyfirem the machine, without the aid Of an
Instrument of any kind or hdoked'up. over The
beam, SO as 10 render il easily transportable from
Plaed 10 place without any damaEel 10 the ma.
], Cline This machine operated well and can
say tb The satisfaction Of all-price $780,. Il has
seven sleeves nine inches apart all line. i has
\ also $ttaehed land measure always designating
the nnuberlo Of acres planted. f.
The last ID order was the Drill Of Mr.. BealT Of
Boonsboro, Md. This machine was entirely dl-
ferenpfrom any on the gr6und-it discharged its
/ grain BY small spoons attached to plate. The
Il Drill was gotten up hastily Tor the occasion, and'
I many allo~aRces are 10 be made Tor il. II was
late In the morning before il arrived on the
n gEonid, and the operator had not time TO put itin
4 oHlers but notwithstanding, il being our of order,
\ 10 All appearances the plan was good one, aud
# PERFORMED well ana planted with great accuracy.
Price $50 Ii is not the intention 81 this basty
notice o. these Drills 10 make any comparisons
between them, iorl know. tial each and all had
/ their advocates | heard practical and inteilE
! gent farmers differing as to the relative merits Of
( each Of them and believe there was only one
/ thing upon which we all did agree-that much
lcredtlwas due ito our enterptlsng President for
! the exerton he made 10 draw these yaiious drills
together 10 order that each and every one might
Judge for himself the drill be, would most prefer.
\ as Welt as for the hoSpitable manner in which lie
4 enterlained the large company on that occasion.
The Interest manifested on this occasion is a.
/ gratifying evidence of the increased value Of,
4 Agricultural Improvement, and we,were Tejoieed
10 EIid so many Intelligent men conlending in this
raceii6r Superiority The field is YET iarge, wide
! and clears ana tie competition thus Brought
about cahnot fail p benefit the great 4 8cul!u,t
raj interest Ii IS how an acceled point fiat The
drilling system possesses many important'aavan m
tage5 over the old broad cast nfNriod q! seeding
saying of seed-ihcrease Of yield and qualify
and aEery great saving olator,
A very great difficulty n the way Of improve
menElis want 81 requisite force both OF animals
ndl4borers The Improvement 10 Agricultural
N machinery and implements will DO something to
meet shIs difficulty. AnplherFeTy great Difficult.
tyis the want Of information among the peoples
their 0prelrdices, and the great unwDgness OF
some sInot only TO avail themselves Of increasing
light, but BY trying to impress their false oPin'
ions npon others. New nodes Of culture are
thus Kept from having their proper influence.
IL Objections urged in this way may appear trltng
al first sight but you will find they exercise INF,
fuence in the general aggregate. Is,it any rea-
son that, because these improvements were I'M
known to our fathers, and because they succeed
ed in the management Of their farms, therefore,
all such aids should be rejected Information
/ and knowledge ofzour means, i SO Important
that il m iglt well be purchased, at almost any
cost; and the more difiused among the people is
this knowledge, tie more enlarged will be their :
feelings in respect to the high aim which should
/ ever characterize an intelligeFl Agricultural
i ,aa.I.tf phIFR