Saint Paul weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1858-1859, 1859-08-20
Steam mIPlOw...Trlal Of Fawkes, Engine
In Pennsylvania.

The undersigned, Committee on behalf {
the Pennsylvania State Agricultural Society
at the invitation of Mr.. Fawke's the invento
of the steam plow, visited Oxford Park, nea
Philadelphia, this afternoon, Thursday, Jul,
2l, and witnessed the operation of the pow
The soil was in good condition, owing to tn,
late rain, which rendered the experiment NOR
satisfactory. Before proceeding to plow
about 800 gallons OF water were pumped int,
the tank bya donkey engine attached to tn
machine, and in a very short time sufficicn
steam was raised to prepare it, so as to dis
play to great advantage the ease and grace
with which it could be moved forward, turn
ed around, backed, &c.
The engine, which is of thirty horse power
is adapted to either wood, or coal, and wher
the latter is used, consumes about half ton
day.
The anxiety and interest of the committee
and number of visitors now became mani
fest. Sympathy with the inventor, who had
devoted years of toll and his entire means tc
the perfeeting of his machine, as well as a con.
sclousness of the many failures of projected
agricultural improvements, and Of the unhap.
py results to the originators, sensibly affected
the minds of the committee
All doubts, however, of its success were
speadily removed. The plows, eight in mum.
Der, which were suspended by chains in a
frame attached to the rear of the machine,
about eighteen inches above the ground, by
means OF slight adjustment of a crank,
were dropped to their proper position for &C.
ton: at the sound of the whsle the plow
moved forward in the most graceful manner,
performing its work with case, and to the ad.
mraton and perfect satisfaction of the most
skeptical
The soil which was made to Weld to the
united action of the eight mould boards, each
turning furrow slice of fourteen inches in
width and six inches in depth, moving at the
rate of four miles an hour, (or four acres an
hour) presented the appearance in viewing
1t from the rear, of the undulations of a wave
hiding the plows entirely from view The ef.
feet was most pleasing, and elected tie ad-
miration of all.
The experiment was made on tough tim
othy sod, which had not been plOughed for
some seven years previously
The grade was of about seven degrees, which
tested the powers of the machine to perform
on inclined surfaces. One of the committee,
familiar with prairie plowing, affirms that he
has never seen level prairie turned as beauti-
fully by horse power as the uneven timothy
sod was by the steam plow.
MIR. Fawkes, still further to show the ca
pacity of his machine for easy lomotion over
uneven surfaces, propelled it rapidly over sew
eral gullies, one Of which was fully eighteen
inches in depth, while others were very
abrupt, and this without any apparent detri-
nient to the machinery, and also moved in
circle several times, of diameter of about
twenty-five feet, and passed by request across
the ground just plowed, without any difficulty
showing conclusively its adaptedness for all
agricultural purposes, not onl y as fieldplow,
but as means of propulsion for moving and
reaping machines. .-.e
Your committee are further of the opinion
that the engine is applicable to the driving Of
threshing machines, farm mills, circular saws,
&c. =
1t may be proper to add that Mr.. Fawkes
placed the machine entirely at the disposal of
the committee and subjected it to every test
which they suggested.
a; A. o. HESTER, ! Com
Chas. KENGLE, 0oiii'
(*Eight burrows, of the width named make
about an acre and eighth to the mile, or four
and half acres per hour at the above rate.