New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1868-01-03
MACHINERY FOB AGRICULTURAL PUR-

in the world. Agriculture they have re
duced to a science, not only in preserving
the fertility of the soil but in preparing it
through labor for the crop. One acre OF
ground in England or Holland will yield
three or four times more than an acre in
this country, not because the soil is richer,
but because tue best fertilizers are used
and the greatest economy praetieed In
cultivating It. Mind in England is put
into matter, and oultivating the soil upon
scientific principles has become not only
one of the fine arts but one of the honorable
professions, like law, medicine, or theology.
Kings, dukes, lords, and cultivated men
generally, are bestowing much attention
upon it, and lectures upon agricultural
chemistry are as popular and interesting
as those upon other subjects. Ride with
an Englishman over a cotton or sugar
plantation on which forty or fifty plows
are at work, with as many men and humid
red mules, and he will laugh sneeringly at
the work done. you do not know how to
pillow in this country" will be his first re-
mark. Flowing in England means turning
the soil completely over, opening it up to
the rain and atmosphere and thoroughly
covering weeds, grass, and everything else
that will be likely to retard the growth OF
the crop. The land, after the English plow
has gone over it, will be as smooth as a
house floor, and every fnrrOw carefully
filed with the soil thrown from beside
it. 1t is impossible in this country to
get fifty labOrers who will pillow
alike and ia looking at a thou
sand acre plantation after it has been
broken up for the crop one can see as
many different kinds Of blowing as there
were men at work, and the crop, when it
comes up, instead of being as smooth as a
lake in a calm, will look as uneven as
lake in storm. All this unevenness Of
blowing it is proposed to remedy with the
steam pillow, which will be under the con-
troll of one will, and that will thoroughly
conversant with the business in hand. The
steam pillow, like all great inventions at
FIRST, is imperfect, and much will have to
be done before the mule can be discarded
with profit to the planter. But with the
steam pillow now in use in England two or
three things are proven. Engines can
move over the ground, steam being the
only force, and their own weight the only
lever to act upon the earth. Flowing by
steam is the most perfect if not the most
economical method yet found for breaking
up the ground. The success of crop de-
pending much upon the manner in which the
ground is prepared, certain per centage is
gained by the steam pillow over the one
now in use. 1t is an accomplished fact
that land can be plowed by steam at no
greater expense than by mule force. The
problem now to solve is whether il can be
plowed at less expense, SO much less as to
induce planters to invest the large sums of
money now required to build and work the
steam pillow. The pillow about to be ex-
hibited at the fair, and which we understand
is to be put at work in a few weeks on the
plantation of Mr.. bingham Lawrence,
seems tOus to be altogether too heavy and
too expensive. In saying this we do not
by any means wish to condemn it in ad-
vance. We most earnestly desire that it
may succeed but in this pillow we do not
think the planting interest has obtained
what it wants. 1t is an encouraging sign,
however, that one Of our most enlightened
and enterprising planters has been willing
to risk large sum of money to experiment
with steam as motive power in blowing.
We believe the experiment will lead TO
complete success. It must succeed.
It isawell known truth that nature never
fails in her resources. Ifaronnd great cities
the forests disappear, coal for fuel is soon
discovered beneath the surface; if the coal
mines give signs Of exhaustion, oil wells
spring into existence; if oil wells run dry,
and that source of heat and LIGHT disap-
pears, electricity springs to the relief Of
man, and furnishes all that ne desires in
tenfOld quantity and great superiority in
quality. Force and motive power can not
be destroyed, but forever may be discovered
by man. How gloomy and sad our once
great Southern planters arc because the
slave labor Of the negro is gone. True, Ii
is gone, and we hope never will return. But
in going it was simply The disappearance of
one form Of force. The form has disappear.
ed the force remains. Man by any act Of
bis will can not destroy force, but by act Of
bis will he can continually bring it into
hgh!. The quantity Of force in the universe
always remains the same. It can not be |
increased or diminished. If it disappears |
in manual iabsr, it can be made to reap |
pear in steam, electricity, light, heat or any |
other form of nature. All that Il wants il 1
the intelligence, the wit, the brain Of maa
TO discover and apply IT, to practical |
purposes. Female labor became scarce and |
high for sewing purposes, and the sewing
Machine soon appeared. Slave labor has
disappeared and manual labor has Been
scarce and high, and ia some sections Of
~ cean~y almost worthless steam plows
WI s'nsF ia.plepents driven by steam wiz
~ axe iis Pace. Tbs sswins-nachino
oie nos lAAe irem bu. oJded 70 the vays.
o. ne sewiug;sirl, and to-sav ~ recsIveS
2 greater reWssa tor har Iabo- tban vybss
ane worked vita Der noedIe. M sts.r.
plow viii cot take fra. h,.t "a 49,