Wilmington journal., 1869-08-13
Trial Of a Steam PIOW.

A steam plow and accompanying appa
ratus, imported by Col. VIM. f. Patterson,
! from Leeds, England, was lately put IN
! operation on the recent purchase of that
gentleman in New Jersey.
Col Patterson's large tract of land is tn
be devoted to the culture of sugar beet. -
AS the soil is n sandy loan, closely akin
to that in which the French have boon 80
successful in sugar-beet culture Col. Pat
terson sees no reason why profit cannot
! be realized in this country in the same
! direction.
The test of this steam plow was made ia
the presence of q considerable number OF
people, including Gen. Capron, of the
United States Agricultural Bureau at
Washington. This gentleman having beaten
his sword into plowshare, has, from the
first, taken active interest in the subject of
relieving horses from this arduous and eX-
hausting labor. Through his intervention
the apparatus, which cost $S13, 900, was al
mitted free of duty, and, at its successful
operation on Tuesday, no one evinced n
higher degree of satisfaction.
The machinery is by no means compli
Gated. At opposite sides of the space to
be plOwed are two steam engines upon
wheels. On the trial on Tuesday they
stood three hundred yards apart. The plOw
has six shares. It is distinct piece Of
mechanism, and is fastened to q steel wire
cable extending between the two locomo
tives across the ground to be turned over.
1t is literally shuttle-cock between two
steam battledores. It moves at the speed
of hundred yards O minute, turning six
| burrows foot each in width and eight
inches in depth. Its average work, there
fore, is twenty acres per day. Tho loco
motives are snug machines, capable of be-
ing applied to many useful purposes IN
| dependent of duty as steam plowers.
A man rides on the plow as it crosses the
soil. General Capron essayed trip or
two, guiding the machine like an expert
upon velocipede. One of tho experts,
who mounted it just after him, had less
good fortune. Onesof the diggers struck
buried Eoulder. When an irresistible
body in motion strikes against an immov-
able one a rumpus must be the result. In
this case the man upon the machine was
slung high into the air. The concussion
broke off two of the teeth of the digger.
but as new one Immediately replaced it,
the accident was matter of little conse
quence. e.les -. ~.
OF this large tract of ground much is
virgin soil. The trunks of many cedars,
showing slight evidences of decay, were
brought to light by tn steam plowshares.
These were crunched up by them as if they
were mere touchwood. The soil above
them is largely made up of decRyed vege-
table matter, and, in the opinion of all who
were present, the sugar beet will produce
in it enormous crops. A digging machine
accompanies the plow, intended for use III
soils where roots and stones arc Obstacles
to the course of the plowshare. This is
wonderful apparatus. 1t 80 triturates the
stiffest soil that Yankee might put it in
to blalders and vend it as substitute for
snuff.
To work the machinery costs extremely
little. Anything answers as fuel, and, at
the rate of twenty acres day large eS
tate is soon put under cultivation. The
locomotives are then ready for ordinary
dniy as steam engines, either to grind ol
thrash, SOW or mash.
J0arndL Of Frank. Institute.