Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1859-09-23
steam Plows at the National Fair.


The steam machines as Substitutes for the
common plow on exhibition at the Chicago Ma
tional Fair were by John Van Doren IL Co.,
Chicago; B F. Field, of Milwaukee; Joseph W.
Fawkes, of Lancaster, Pa; and James Waters,
of Detroit. The National Committee awarded
the Grand Gold Medal of Honor, 10 Mr.. Fawkcs
for his Steam Plow, also SO 900 fret Prize was
awarded him on the recommendation of an
Examining Committee, consisting of Isaac A.
Hedges and A. b. Latta, of Cincinnati, and Z,
W. Gates, of Chicago The cost of his Steam
Plow is 81 200. OF its operation the National
Committee says:
The work done by this machine throughout
was excellent, the burroughs being evenly laid,
and the turf completely buried, even in stretch
Of land broken up into tussocks, with flags and
other aquatic plants growing upon and around
them The soil was a black mold, so sandy in
parts that good clod could not be picked up !;
in others with much grave intermixed with the
mold; and in others "A fine black vegetable mold
such as is common all over the black prairie "
But, while your committee are by no means
prepared to certify that Mr. Fawkes plowing
machine has reached the degree of perfection
only to be had after much practical working on
a farm, they do not regard its several weak
points as above noticed, az invalldating its
claims to public favor, for enough good work
was done in the two miles OF lurrOw il run on
Friday, to prove it TO have great merit Itplow-
ed for US at the rate of an acre in seventeen
minutes, or three and half acres per hour in
eluding turns
At tile Royal Agricultural Society of Eng
lands show this year. there was exhibited six
steam plows and cnltvatOrs in actual work OF
these the best was that of John Fowler, Jr., OF
London, whose engine is stationed at one side
of field, sef-moviug drum at the other, and
wire cable, which winds and unwinds on the
above drum aud another one beneath the engine
itself, draws double gang of plows, One.hali
set to plow in one direction, the other in the
contrary one, With this apparatus, taking four
turrOWs nine inches by ak, aud employing a
power equal TO ten hOrses, two acres sixteen
perches only Of ground were broken up per
hour.
To this machine was awarded the ROYAL So
ciety's Grand Prize of $500 last year at Chester,
and the new prize Of ESQ this year at Warwick
and your committee are OF opinion that if these
awards were worthly made, the machine OF
Fawkes is eminently worthy of commendation
and support at their hands.
The Doren and Milwaukee machines were 80
defective in construction that they did not stand
the test, and the Detroit gave out before the
trial was completed. Ii worked but two min
utes before the break Of the castor wheel
which let some of the plOws into the ground
to great depth, swapping one of, The fur
row turned by the thirteen plows was 10 feet in
width, and the distance Travelled being 800
feet, there was only about an eighth of an
acre plowed. OF the Detroit plow writer
who saw its operation day or two before the
test trial, says;
Waters Detroit machine unquestionably
merits the first notice. Ii is an immense and
UnWieldy looking affair, but evidently Of great