The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-03-31
STEAM PLOUGHS.

We condense from a very able paper OF Pro
fessor j. Brainerd, of the United States Patent
Office, The following history of steam pl )ughs. 1t
is published in the last report on Agriculture to
Congress. Tue Professor says:-
No portion of the globe is better adapted to
steam culture than the broad pralIes of the
West, and it is upon these plans that the great
problem of steam culture must be solved. For
over two hundred years past the efforts to OBJ
tain substitute for the common plough, or the
means Tor operating 1t, have been neither few
nor unimportant. One form was tue hauling
plough, SO called because the engine that ope.
rates the plough is placed upon one side of the
held, and moves along a headland; the plouehs,
generally gang with TWO sets, turn turroHs in
the same direction in moving back aud forth
over the field. Upon the opposite side OF tae
field Is placed movable CApstan or Wndlass
which Is moved forward upon headland, and
the ploughs are drawn back aud forth by means
of wire ropes or chains. At each set OF furro VS.
the engine Is moved forward upon the headland
upon one side OF the held ana the capstan upon
the other, the width OF a set of urro VS. when
the ploughs are ORA Tn again across the held.
This n. ethod OF cul iVatlug or working the
land by steam power was first patented in the
United States by 3. q. Bellinger, of South
Carolina, November 10, 1888, but from some
cause the invention never went into general use.
About the year 1854 John Fowler, of England,
improved upon this general plan OF Bellnger's,
and was so far successful that number OF
machines were put in operation.
In 1856 and 1857 Fo Gler took out patents in
the United States tor his improvements Dut up
to this date but two of them have been brought
into use in this country. As special encour-
agement, Congress, at It's last session, passed a
bill allowing the introduction OF steam ploughs
Tree OF duty.
Another method of steam culture has been
attempted, III which the engines are designed
to travel over the field, drawing the ploughs
behind them, usually in gangs, and many
patents have been granted Tor alleged improve
ments in this mode OF culture.
Among the earlier Of these adventurers may
be named Henry Corning, 1850; David Russell, ,
1876; Judd Stevens, 1858; J. d. Howell, 1859;
b. Crawford. 1857, and mauy others. Their
efforts at improvement have been directed
chiefly 10 the construction OF an engine that
was capable OF tIaversDg the field, and drawing
gang OF ploughs; but hitherto insurmountaole
difficulties have been experienced. IL has not
been found imprscticable to construct an engine
capable OF IunDing over common road, but IN
a cultivated field, where the SOIL Is sort and
Welding, 1t has been found that nearly the
entire power of the engine has been expended
in its own propulsion, and hence its inability 10
overcome The resistance OF the ploughs.
The cause of the failure of traction engines
TO perform their work in ploIghng can DC
explained upon the folloHipg hylothesls: we
will suppose that an engipe OF 10 horse power,
fully equipped for the field, will weigh eight
tons. fit has four driving wheels OF one foot
tread each. there will be 48 inches OF elective
contact with the earth. Now, single IurIoW'