New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1859-10-15
SCIENCE, INDUSTRY, AND INVENTION.
STEAM FLOWING.


ing to the public, but the testimony of msny indvi-
duals goes to show that they no. profitable or at
least have not been 10 them.
Real, practical Improvements in la5or-saving ma
chneIy or discoveries in practical science, are COM
paratyely few and far between; nevertheless every
stenpt in the right direction, though apparently un
succes,ful il very sure to lead 10 the desired result
and if the press in noticing new inventions would
merely state facts in relation to them, or, need be-
recomme1 them for what they are and for what they
actually do instead OF what they supposed TO be,
or what they are supposed capable Of doing the IN
yentye reader would be enlightened aud better pre-
pared 70 improve and perfect the device; while enter
prisipg business men-who, not unlike others-are
ore or less influenced by the press, would save much
time and money, now spent in running sitter VAN
things.
TIE Steam Flows which have been on exhibition AZ
the several Agricultural fairs and other places during
the past season. are perfect success. e. they have
actually powed acres Of ground, and some have
plowed il well, thus demonstrating VIVA, everybody
knew before or should have known, that sufficient
quantity Of steam under pressure of $50 lbs. to the
inch is as capable Of overcoming the resistance Oh
ered by blows as such other resIstsnces TO which II
has heretofore been applied Bot these pows are not
only success in what they demonstrate but will be
Az piopeers successful in what they never have dem
onstrated and what il is thought by some they never
will demonstrate viz the introduction of economical
practical everyday blowing for the benefit OF farmers
Though their effective working capacities are prooa
bly, as yet only known 10 the inventors, howeversm
il may be- they are surely the orerupner OF an efficient
and labor saving machine, Is was the application OF
steam to the little craft sn inland lake among the
mountains of Scotland success that resulted in the
improved steamers of Fulton and his successors.
Had the Niagara or Grea. Eastern been the frst
model of steamer, mig ht with some reason, have
faith in tie perfection of first working steam-plow;
but from the fact that 1900 years elapsed from the in
vention of the steam-engne before its notifications
we're cient to develop its usefulness and that the
history Of all grea inventions shows their Efficiency to
have been acquired only by time and diversity of
inventive talent cannot expect that steam plow
sbould be produced except by gradual steps in the
way of invention and improvement. Then supposng
the Fawkes and other pows to be capable of aneo-
rstion II is well TO examine them in relation to their
mode Of applying the power to their work, rather
than TO examine the work ITSELF their burrows being
merely laid over by the mold board OF an ordinary
| pillow.
| Some twenty years ago many attempts were made IN
England to spply steam power TO carriages on COM
mon roads, and the only difficulty encountered was
found in the enormous weight and bulk Of the boiler
and engine, together with the constant danger of
poson. As these for the time, insurmountabe,
all projects were abandoned and until the recent
partial success in locomotive steam fre.epgnes,
progress has been made in this direction. So long a.
inventors consider necessary to transmit the power
of the engine to the pows through the traction Of the
machire the greater this weight the better but TO
put in motion and the resistance of from II
to 90 tuns dead weight rolling over soft ground
uneven sward for the purpose Of stirring the breadth
Of few feet of soil is certainly an uneconomcal and
uncertain plan, and will probably lead to the following
results:
l. The construction of az engine and boiler that viii
be light compact, and safe, depending on velocity
rather than bulk, for great power.
ii. The weight Of the motive machine, after being
reduced as much as possible, will be partially sus-
pended and directly applied to pulverizng the earth,
rather than evolving superuous and unnecessary re-
sis,snce il producing tractve force.
III. To accomplish the second requirement, and at
the time give the very best p'ssbe preparation
to TIE so rotary pulverzers must be substituted for
the old Glow rnotioned, mod.board plow. These dig
gers orkers pulversers Of whatever form, should
have very rapid and consequently rotary motion,
taking but little hold the ea1 so as to leave the
particles finely divided and exposed to the free circu-
ston Of air ard moisture. This may be done on old
ground, with about the came power by which II is
low hall done with the common plow. In breaking
up prairie swsrd probably better way will be found
than to turn over the cod and give nature time ~
ooten and dissolve the roots.