Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1858-01-14


Marshall p. Wilder, Esq. q, of Boston, Mass. had
just concluded his opening address.
The meeting then went into the appointment of
committee to report nominations for officers
during the ensuing year, an d the Chair appoint
ed on that committee Messrs. ARMY of Kansas
Getner of Maine, French of N. H., Morrell OF
VT, James of r. !, Hamilton Of N ] , mellow
an of Pa, Jones of Del, Merryman of Md, De
Illinois.
of the Presidents address as related to the bill
of MIR. Morrell, now before the House Of Repre-
sentatlves, Tor the appropriation of public lands
to each state and Territory, be referred to a spe-
cial committee of five for consideration; agreed
to.
Mr. B. b. French, the Treasurer of the Socie-
ty, here informed the President that, owing to a
press Of other business, he was unable to make
make his usual report to the meeting this morn
Ing; he would do so, however, tomorrow; he
would state that there was now in the treasury
the sum of 50 200 subject to the order of the So
ciety.
The Chair here called upon Mr.. French of
New Hampshire, who had been appointed at the
last annual meeting United States Commits
sioner to the various agricultural societies of Eu-
rope, to make some remarks by way of a report
OF bis observations of agricultural management
in the old world
Mr.. F. addressed the association. He had
been appointed by the association to visit Eu-
rope, and take such observations would be
deemed worthy OF remark. He had gone there
and presented his credentials tn various societies
and had everywhere been received with distin-
gnished hospitality and courtesy. 1t was due to
all the societies abroad to state that all
sions Re had been received with respectful cor
duality. He would recommend to all the men,
bers present. and all others, that il it fell in
their way to reciprocate to any gentleman. the
representative of foreign agricultural societies,
the welcome he had received at their hands, to do
so by all means in their power, in acknowledge
ment of the debt OF gratitude due from this
ciety for their uniform efforts TO afford him every
facility In their power in the object Of his mis-
sion.
The speaker spoke of the subject of steam
blowing, and recommended the subject to the
consideration Of the Society He had the
steam plow in active operation. Fowler's pillow,
which he had seen, and which would plough at
the rate of one acre per hour, he proceeded to
give description of in detail.
tie had seen tn rec different kinds of the steam
plough while In Europe. and he believed that its
use was not impracticable to greater or less ex-
tent in this country, especially western prai-
RE lands. The subject of steam blowing was
leading subject wherever he had travelled. He
saw the first one at Ipswich, England and was
doing. when he saw i; in operation, as good
work as could be done by span OF heavy horses
and a first class plowrnan, and at the rate of one
acre per hour Its prac.icabiIity, however, was
mere question of economy with us on this side
of the Atlantic.
ton Of the manner in which the steam pillow was
managed, the manual force required TO keep it
going 1t required six men and a boy to manage
IL properly. His impression was that when he
horses and six men per day. He could not cal
cuiate the expense attending its in this coun-
Try, but in this particular his impression was
that II would not be of great practical value when
we take into consideration all its elements. At
the exhibition of the Royal Society at Salisbury,
he sa" another steam p,owing apparatus with
locomotive attached to 1t, which moved with the
pillow, instead of icing stationary, as in the other
case which he had just mentioned.
This machine laid down a track in front of the
wheels as 1t propelled along, and when the wheels
passed over the track was taken up by machinery
and passed over, and revolving, came down in its
turn IN front. He saw it come on the field by it.
self, like thing endowed with life uneven
ness Of the ground was a bar to its passage, il
propelled itself up steep hill, and equally well
on side bill, turned short corners, and when at
fached TO the plows worked as though there
was no obstacle to its passage II drew three
Ploughs, and did the work OF six good teams
Zach plow was held by man, as in the COM
mon form This machine required the attend
ance of an engineer, fireman, and three men to
hold the ploughs. The speaker, from what OBJ
servations he could make, thong ht this mach ne
preferable to the one at Ipswich; its only objec-
tion was in soft ground-but whether in the long
run II would prove cheaper in this country be
was not able to state. In England the price of
labor was not more than one-half the price of la
Dor In this country. The invention last spoken
OF could be used equally well in narrowing, or
with the cultivator, or for digging purposes.
In Paris he saw a third machine of this kind
in operation. He would state here that in the use
OF steam in the pulverization Of the soil it was
evident that the use Of the plow would be done
tuted- This last machine was digging machine.
There were twelve diggers attached to axles the
axles worked A width Of four and half feet and
at any required depth, and left the earth in an
excellent condition He thong hit il would work
best on ground previously worked over He re-
GREETED not being able TO exhibit drawing Of
ms machine but there had been no drawing of
IL made. All three of these steam plows Were
worked with coal engines. As to the cost of
working them he could make no comparison
The speaker closed by thanking the meeting for
INh ich tleyh had
his remarks, made without the chance of referr-
ing to his notes, and unex pectedly
MI Byington, OF Iowa. desired to know the
opinion OF Mr.. French to whether steam
ploughing could be introduced prairie lands
adjacent to coal fields, and prove to be labor
saving machine,
Dir. French remarked that he could testify that
II would be labor performing machine, but not
being acquainted with the comparative cost Of
working them, he could not say, safely, as to that
point.
Senator Harlan, Of Iowa. here asked leave to
Introduce the following resolution; which wa.
agreed TO:
requested toscoDsult with the members of the
Committee on Agriculture Of the House of Rem
resentatives, and the members Of the Committee
on the Patent ONCE Of the Senate, with yiewof
perfecting proper plan Of CO. operation nv Con-
gress in aiding this Society in carving out the
OBJECTS OF Its organization, and report at some
future day; carried
Mr.. johnson. of ". Y, then addressed some
remarks to the Society upon the subject Of steam
as applied to agricultural purposes. He agreed
with Mr.. French that the pillow was doomed to
be substituted by the digger; its advantage over
the plow was paramount, as by IL once going
over the ground would ut il for the reception Of
the grain; The digger would perform the en-
TIRE work OF disinegraton by one operation
when the speaker was last In England this SUBJ
Ject was occupying the attention Of the most
eminent agriculturists of Europe At trials of
English and American plows the advantage of
our manufacturers was Instantly conceded be-
canse they completely turned the furrow over
whlle the English plow, having a thick land
SIDE, passed certain portion Of each furrow
down so compactly that nothing but cross plow-
Ing could make that part Of the ground Of any
use In growing crops. He believed in the djpgeT
with regard to the introduction Of the steam
pillow in the United states, he believed IL would
work. The matter Of cost not half that of
the English machine. The English steam ploY
does the work now with the same expense as the
old style OF blowing costs. and he believed that
American invention would reduce the expense
attending its use to mere trihe
Mi Johnson took occasion while I'D of an
nounclDg the resignation of Gov. King Of his
state, as an Oficer of this Society owing TO the