The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1869-08-09

TRIAL OF A STEAM PLUW.-A steam plow
and accompanying apparatus, imported by
Colonel William L. Patterson from Leeds,
England, was lately put in operation on the
recent purchase of that gentleman III New
Jersey.
Colonel PattcrsOn's large tract of land is
10 be devoted to the culture Of sugar-beet.
KS the soil is a sandy loan, closely akin to
that in which the French have been so sue
ccssful in sugar-bcct culture, Colonel Pat
rcrson sees no reason why profit cannot
he realized in this country in the same di
reCtiOn.
The test OF this steam pillow was made in
the presence Of o considerable number of
people, including General Capron, of the
United States Agricultural Bureau at Wash
ington. This gentleman, having beaten his
sword into plcwsharc, has, from the first,
taken active interest in the subject of re-
licving horses from this arduous and ex-
hausting labor. Through his intervention
the apparatus, which cost $l3, 900, was ad
mitted free of duty, and at its successful
operation on Tuesday no one cyinced Il
higher degree Of satisfaction.
The machinery is by no means compli-
;%nted. At opposite sides Of the space to be
ploSaad aaGY two stcam-engines upon wheels.
On the trial OF. Tuesday they stood three
hundred yards apart. inc -plow has six
shares. 1t is a distinct piece of mechanism,
and IL fastened to steel wire cable OK
tending between the two locomotives across
the ground to be turned over. 1t is literally
"A shuttle-cock between two steam battle
dores. 1t moves at the speed of hundred
wards II minute, turning six burrows Il foot
each in width and eight inches in depth.
lis average work, therefore, is twenty acres
per day The locomotives are snug ma
chimes, capable Of being applied to many
useful purposes independent Of duty as
steam blowers.
A man rides on the pillow as it crosses the
soil. General Capron cssayed trip or
y two, guiding the machine like an expert
upon II vclocipcdc. One Of the experts who
mounted it just after him had less good for
tune. One Of the diggers struck Il buried
boulder. When an Irresistible body in mo-
ton strikes against an immovablc one u
rumpus must be the result In this case
tho man upon the machine was slung high
into the air. The conclusion broke off two
OF the teeth Of the digger; but as Il new
one Immediately replaced it the accident
was i matter Of little consequence.
sIOf this large tract of ground much is
virgin soil. The trunks of many cedars
showing slight evidences Of decay were
brought to light by the steam-plowshares.
These were crunched up by them as if they
were mere touchwoo1. The soil above them
is largely made up of decayed vegetable
matter, and in The opinion of al who were
present the sugar-beet will produce in it
enormous crops. A digging machine ac-
companies the pillow, intended for use in
soils where roots and stones are obstacles 70
the course OF the plowshare. This is Won
dcrfuI apparatus. itso tritur2tes the stiff
est soil that Yankee nigh! put into blad-
ders and yend it as substitute Tor snuff.
10 work the machinery costs extremely
little. asAuytbing answers as fuel, and at
the rate Of twenty acres day large
estate is SOON put under cultivation. The