Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1869-08-13
Trial OF a Steam PIOw.

A steam pillow and accompanying appara-
tus, imported by Col. VIM. E. Patterson
from Leeds, England, was lately put in oper-
alton on the recent purchase of that gentle
man in New Jersey.
Colonel Patterson's large tract of land is
to be devoted to the culture of sugar beet.
AS the soil is sandy loanl, closely akin to
that in which the French have been so sue
cessful in sugar-5eet culture, Colonel Pat
terson sees no reason why profit cannot be
realized in this country in the same direc-
ton.
The test of this steam pillow was made in
the presence of considerable number Of
people, including General Capron, of the
United States Agricultural Bureau at
Washington. This gentleman having bea-
ten his sword into plow-share, 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 $13, 900, was ad-
mitted free of duty, and, at its successful
operation on Tuesday, no one evinced a
higher degree of satisfaction.
The machinery is by no means eompli-
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 pillow has six
shares. 1t is distinct piece of mechanism.
and is fastened to steel wire cable extend
ing between the two locomotives across the
ground to be turned over. 1t is literally a
shuttae-eock between two steam battledores.
It moves at the speed of a hundred yards u
minute, turning six burrows foot each in
width and eight iaeaes in depth. Its aver
age work, therefore, is twenty acres per
day. The locomotives are snug machines,
capable of being applied to aany useful pur-
poses Independent of duty as steam blowers.
A man rides on the pillow as iterosses the
soil General Capron essays trip or two,
guiding the machine like an expert upon q
velocipedc One of the experts who mount
ed it Just after him had less good fortune.
One of the diggers struck a buried boulder
When an irresistible body in motion strikes
against an immovabie one rumpus must be
the result. In this case the man upon the
machine was slung high into the air. The
conclusion broke off two of the teeth of the
digger, but as new one immediately re-
placed it tho accident was a matter of little
consequence.
Of this large tract of ground much is vir-
gin soil. The trunks of many cedars, show
ing slight evidences Of decay, were brought
to light by the steam plowshares. These
we're cruuched up by them as if they were
mere touchwood The soil above them is
largely made up Of decayed vegetable mat
ter, and, in the opinion of all who were pre-
sent, the sugar-beet will produce in it enor
nous crops. A digging machine accom-
panies the plows, intended for use in soils
where roots and stones are obstacles to tho
course of the plowshare. This is wonder
full apparatus. 1t 50 trituratcs the stiffest
soil that Yankee might put itinto bladders
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 a day, large estate
is soon put under cultivation. The locomo-
tives are then ready for ordinary duty as
steam engines, either to grind OR thrash, SOW
or mash, Journal of Franklin Institute.