New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1862-01-17
INTERESTING TO FARMERS.
PERFORMANCES OF FOwLERS STEAM
Pillow.


ream.engiue may perhaps De 'aognV pow '"'
nothing will be gained by elther' because Is ho'
,bei, mode of action respectively. Mechanical power
has many modes Of action but whether wind or
water. or steam be the driving agent, the iayoHie
motion is tie NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. Where steam is
.rpoyed velticalcrcular action is almost universal
Instance the steam-padde, the screw-propeler' tho
common fy-wheel, the locomotive, the circular saw
the drum of tbe thrashing the ste"n-punP'
md many others that will occur to The reoon'''o
al the engineer" And in the course oil 'oiS' W.!
able, ard apparently conclusive argument "o
the importance of giving inventors no ies' u"''
,r.drce steano cutiyator that will lnveft ana ar
tnrb the narcle. Of soil by means oil some appi'a
non of the vertical circular action of meon"ii'o"'
..wer Tn;sis all very pretty AS theory, ouI 4" IL
-. - ,bose drawn from analogy 'leh are not COL
-, :, themselves. 1t is true that the power OF
MAN can only be practically applied IN veTtca' oe
,o,;on 10 soil culture aud that the horizontal spun
of the home or OK would seem 10 require Their 'v''
On he arpled horizontally, or in the way OF tracuoh
bat we think il il not equally demonsiTaoie tHa'
steam-power should only be applied IN the ver'o"'
circular method. Fowler, SUith, and other invent
or bave alre adv proved that they can use steam
rcSver horizontally in culuva!ing iaud al lrot "s
comnsred with the usual plan Of horse-plowng, ana
!, only ren,airs TO be shown by experiment wIether
Mr.. Hoskyns or they are right To realize Mr. Hos
kyDs's idea vast amount Of ingenni'y ana money
have been expended but thus far without any pra'-
,al resur A balfscore or 60 of rotary CutiyatciS
have in turn come out 10 trials in England aud ths
country. failed, and been withdrawn from puohc
view. and The most successful stesurplowing has
been done in both countries on the very plan which
Mr.. Hoekyns oronounces Improbable. John Fowler
ir.. and william Smith, in England, Pow lleir acre
an hour with a gang Of four plows drawn by engines
Of twelve horsepower and j. W. Fawkes OF Penn
sylyauia has actually turned over bis four acres OF
pr,ire-sod in the same space Of time with six-Eiow
gang What with short allowances If tubular sur
face. imperfect machinery, anc one thing or another
Fswkes has not ye. done aweeAs STEADY wofh O"
or farms, 80 that, practically considered, we mus
take the performances OF Fowler and Smith as the
gauge of our present advancement III the direction oil
steam cultivation. What these are, American farm
srs have heretofore been obliged TO judge by hear
nav but The recent arrival Of one of Fowler en-
gines, and its public trial in November at Phil4-
delphia enable them to form more correct estimate
frm personal observation.
TIE ENGINE.
II is distngui-habe from the ordinary portable
zine by the arrangement Of the engine above the
boiler, by the presence Of double horizontal drum
in from, of the fre-box by strong inclined shait
gearing INFO the drving-whees, by al apparatus FIR
steering in place of sLas, aud by certain minor de-
tsils
The engine at Philadelphia s of 12horss-
power English computation, but will work up 90
about thirty, American computation. In drawing
four-iurrow plow through lghtish soil it works Al
about 10 hofse power, with pressure Of 40 bs. The
boiler is horizontal and contains 81 aues Of y inches
diameter, which have been tested up TO 200 lbs pres
sure There are four wheels two drivers, and two
for steering all with l6-nch faces. Tbs drivers are ,
fee, 3 in in diameter and strong iron sIu1s are fur
nished for boiling on the faces when working in slip
perry clay soil. Power is communicated 10 the
drivers by slantng shaft from the crank-sbaf
through internal gears connected with fricton-bet
The hubs are double, and two sets Of wroughtifon
spokos interace each other before reaching the nm
Of the wheel. The seering-gear CONSISTS OF an end
less chain running around I'm between the for
ward wheels, passing over pulleys, and worked by
an ordinary shaft and hsnd-pulley. Beneath the
boiler if a drum around which passes the wire cable,
or rather rope, which draws the gang Of pows. The
drum consists Of an inner and outer hange, with inter
na gears to receive power from bevel-whoel
worked from the crank-shaft, clutes being attached
for throwing it in and out Of gear. On the outer
Asngc Of the drum attached IL clips Of specuiar
patented construction. They are compound lever,
arranged to nip the rope as il passes around,
and 10 take stronger hold in proportion to the strain
on TIE cable. At either side presspulleys 10 keep
the rope ia place in Of sudden slack. Under
chs drum is an open drum which csn be geared into
when required, 10 wind up the whole cable on
changing from one field to another or when travel
my along the read.
At the rear Of the engine is water-tank Of a ca
pacity Of 300 gallons, aud coal-deck which will
hold in the neighborbood Of half tun without ping.
THE FLOWING APPARATUS.
There are two sste Of four Or six plows each at
taebed to an iron frame resting pair of wbeels,
the seis Of plows pointing in opposite directions
thai one gang will plow way the field and
the other gang the other way for q return furrow.
The frame curves over the axle OF the wheels and
the two ends balance, 90 that when one gang is down
al lie work the other Is lifted in the air A, either
end il placed seat for the pOwmsn who sl4.rs the
apparatus by meaDs of a handpulley on a rod which
gear into the axle; and he also regulates the dept
and width Of the burrows by appropriate screws
The pOw frame is Of wrought iron and il made very
strong. II is drawn by the wire rope previously al
luded to, which passes from the drum under the en-
gine to efnoving "ancbor at the other eide Of the
Eeo, and ia attached at both ends 70 the pow frame
The ends pas, over .eli-acting slack drums, which
yulndr1r L. la q.