, 1870-08-01


fio"sMaAtne IN nc oidsn Ie ano
1ta,.r,"I s,..c - ononsn.Wh .on"s.S.n~ Wh.o,
".s t.os.rr .,o,,1,.rx .,,n, pr,rr,-
n,cs r.. .i,cvtcr.-f1i.o,,. ..tox Vvrm.
-Frax mtll.-s;rowtuE OF FLAX
knitstng FnctorY-t1our m.lls-Thc
F'nir Grounds.
,fso4 oCR AGRICULTURAL CORRESPONDENCE
CAA4rA.0S, Ill, July 80
Lees than fifty yeara has wrought a most
important change in plor-naking. With the
plow Of the olden time it would bs simply i'm
possible to grow ANYTHING Ike largo crops on
our praines, for the soil is Of that peculiar sd
heaive character that it is almost impossible to
drive u wooden mould board, cast-iron OF strap
ptow through it. In an early day We did man
age to do little, hut it Was With great labor
Of man and beast. None but the most robust
nan could accomplish the work.
When \ bog first learned to paow with the
old wooden mould board plow, With single
handle. At best tho work was poorly done.
About 1880 We had the Woods cast iron plow,
which in grsvely soil WIS Of great value, hut
qnite worthless On the prairie, We could do
better work, with comparative ease to both
man and team, and plnxing became almost
pastime. Any boy could then handle the
plow. Fifteen yea1a later, ut the West, We
had the steel plow in vetv simple form. and
fre years later the plow-m,ker LETT the cor
ne1s where ho h.d been established from time
inmtmo.ial as the smith OF all work. AMI
joined his labor aud skill to the msn Of busi-
ness and Of capital. and located in the large
cities, where cheap co.l, choap uater-power,
and direct access with the great pointa of dis
t.ibution would enab1e h,m to do business on
a largo scale. Chicago. Moline. and peoria.
were the points that tlrst became prominent,
on account Of their access by water. and later
by rail Rockford, Grand Detour, Napes-
vile, Juliet, Gals4burK, Lacon,
Ottaus, Peru, Dixon, Princeton and other
points did something. FOR thcir respective To-
calities, and followed in the progress OF i'm
proyement. Dut for = long time all tbe,e
shops made their plova by hand. snd no two
Of them we're precisely alike. Now each part
is made to fit III its place, and ike clock work,
and are set up and sent out to the fA1sna. All
patterns Of plows is alike they do not ya.y in
the least, and il one il poor, ali arc poor.
Last week spent day At Dixon auong the
mud sills Of that manufacturing town, aud
was so much interested in the making of plows
TRIBUNE some idea Of how the work is ACCOM-
plished.
The Grand Detour p1ow works date back to
1887, when wooden mould boards aud iron
straps wese the order OF the day. Steadily
onward tu the progress Of improvement they
have continued, and may claim to be one OF
the eldest, Il not this olisst, establishment for
the making Of plows now in opsr alton in the
State. There are larger Embellishments in the
State, but none that hare maintained better
reputation for the quality Of their work. The
steel and iron for many. it not al Of our
Flows. are made At Pittsburgh, aud nhippcd
to the several shops by car loads, and pur-
chased at first hand.. The belma and handles
arc OF Illinois timber, from the southerp mart
OF the State, and much OF tue coal is from our
Illinois coal fields. Il will no. be long before
IIlinois-nade iron and steel will supp1v the de-
maud. This will give to our State tho raw
material 10. tlow making, which, aided to our
ekill ard capital in this brsuch of bus;ne,s.
must form a very prominent featura in our
exports to other States.
After t!.c slabs OF stee1 arc rolled At t,,o
forcee, tllcy arc cut into N 3u,l-boan1 hl,nl.
according to the patterns desired. Tia al ,,os
are cut ut the sllor from cast stoe, s,.h- aca
inches widc and quarter of An inch th;ck
The moull-boarls aro made Of three mali
tics: lst, cast steel facing and hack with ;ro,,
ccrtse. The face side is hardened. 20 that a
file can make ITO impression on il, tlesa sra
warranted to .cour in anr roll ~ G,,u,,
steel mor!l-baasas. hardened TO a mods,,,a
estens, and, 81, cast steel mt ,,,r;1.
elol, Tic shares are all n,aa ~
cast steel. and hardened Int far an ;nc1, NJ
tie cutting edge, the temper ls drawn. in ordcr
to allow Of the use of q flo in sl,,rnan;nr
aud also to prevent brcakara.
The lind s,1o ia rnts,.l t1,rao ;nc,,oz ,,- .,.,