New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1860-07-17
PREMIUMS FOR STEAM PLOWS.

In recent number Of Western agricultural Journal
we notice an announcement that the Illinois State Ag
ricutural Society have again offered premium for a
steam. pillow. The resolution is worded thus:
That this sfs h g'smnS :. Of @
situted animal power blowing and other farm work"
The terms, it viii be seen, very general, and al
low the Society wide margin of discretion. As it
stands the Executive Committee, after reapng all the
profit which will accrue to the Society," by COMPETE
ton of several steam-plows at their Fair could fall
back their proviso, (which can be practically sub
suted for animal power" and defraud the poor in
ventor out of bis prize. We sorry to that this
species of deusive practice partially resored 70
last year. and no part of the $1,000 premium would
have been pad-as none OF the 5000 one, OF 1898,
wac paid-had ii not been for the public clamor and
the per ssent efforts Of honest In the Board
Of Management. II is probable that last years COM
petitors, Waters Fawkes and Van Doren 81 Glover,
will enter for this years prize, and IL s also quite
likely that the two former will make a better show of
work than at the previous trial Others, who could
not manage to get their machines finished at any
rate delivered in season for trial, may be on hand.
But in any event the competition will be both useful
and interesting to the community and If the present
promise of large crop holds ont, multitude OF farm
ers will be at the Fair.
Mr.. Waterss machine at last accounts was blowing.
at Urbana, and doing tolerable work. Where Fawkes
has been operating we have not been informed, for
since last Fall we have neither seen nor heard from
him. recent paragraph in Cincinnati paper, how
sver leads suppose that material improvements
have been made in the machine by Miles Greenwood,
who purchased interest after the trial at Freeport
We saw all the machines which competed at the West
ern fairs last year. and which did not and while
zone are yet in condition to go on farm and settle
into regular work, there is enough of merit in two OF
them TO make await this years trial with anxiety
There shond be two separate and distinct trials made
of each machines one, the blowing Of fifty acres con-
secutively aud the other test the FAIR grounds
by Committee of machnists. The steam-plow is re-
qured for two purpoeesto break and seed the prai-
ries and to furnish power for farm machinery Hence
the necessity for fair trial Of competing machines in
both Of these respects. Ii Is all well enough TO get up
steam al fair aud fancy trips about the grounds
music playing and colors flying but this will never
show Committee Of practical farmers how the engine
would behave throughout job Of prairie breaking.
The worker must be brought to its work, and fairly
tested, before any Society recommend 1t for pur'
chase TO improving farmers. Waters's machine was
very nice to look at on the Fair grounds last year. as
it stood with hissng steam and glowing furnace ready
to START but half hour after il had started Waerss
machine was quite different object TO contemplate.
Covered with the powdry black dust Of the prairie Its
gang plows wreck and it's steam up to iSo pounds
pressure the Committee were satisfied that perform
ance and promise were t~o separate and distinct
things. 80 with the Fswkes engine. 1t did well
enough when really at work, but long and frequent
paps of ideness we're requisite to give time to make
steam, or repair damages. SILL, insisted then, aud
we repeat now that FawkeS was fairly entitled to the
offered prize because his defects were mainly of dimen
sion not principle; and wthal he had done FIVE times as
much the hour as pet Of the Royal English Society
twelvemonth has now elapsed, during which Waters
has, no doubt, improved his plows, and Fa~kss
increased Bis steam capacity. The field is fairly before
them, and their performance should be much better