The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1870-10-08
The Steam Plow-Progress Of Ag-
ricuIture.

Ever since steam became the
popular agent Of man, As q means
of propulsion, ingenuity and sci
ence have been put to an unremit-
ting exercise in the effort to sue
cessfully apply it 20 the aid Of the
agriculturist in performing the i'm
portant and very laborious work of
blowing. Many millions oe dollars
have been expended in England
and in our own country upon ex-
periments Of that character, but
nearly all of the experiments in
this country have been blank fail
ures. In England, stationary en-
gines have been used to some ex-
tent, tho plows being drawn across
the fields by means Of wire ropes
winding upon a drum turned by
steam. One Of these machines has
been successfully used on planta-
ton near Skipwith's Ian ling, Mis-
sissippi. The Vlcksburg Herald
describes the method of blowing as
follows: The pillow cuts the soil to
any depth required and at a rapid
rate, faster than a man can walk.
There are different sets of plows,
for deep and shallow plowing, for
subsoiling, for extracting roots,
and for making cotton beds. The
latter is the most interesting, and
makes a complete cotton bed, Of
over five feet wide, by one opera
ton. Tney pillow on an average 25
to 30 acres daily, and can do even
more on loose soil. The engines
are also useful for much other
work. such as hauling heavy loads,
in which they are capable of per-
forming the work Of twenty-four
mules
This machine was built at Leeds,
England, and it is claimed that it
can break fifty acres per day under
favorable circumstances. Such an
impIeme ent is, Of course, a great
improvement upon blowing with
horses; but it is not what inven
tors are striving for, the desidera
tum being a locomotive to accom-
pany the plow. Such machine,
We are assured by subscriber at
Rochester has been invented in
that city, and has operaaed under
all circum stances, even more fa>
vorably than had been expected
1t is not, however, in all respects
satisfactory, and it is stated that
the same parties are engaged upon
another, which they confidently be-
lieves will prove great success.
The first mentioned machine is de
scribed as follows: The locomo-
tive consists of an ordinary double
cylinder steam engine and boiler
suspended upon frame and rest
ing mainly upon two driving
wheels. The engines are rated at
I or s horse power The whole
machine weighs scarcely more than
two tons. There are wheels for
ward which are made to turn uu-
der the control of the steering
wheel and thus the machine is
guided by the pilot upon the deck.
The main or traction wheels are
what constitute the feature of the
machine. They are five feet in di-
ameter, and have tread Of eight
inches in width. The rims of these
wheels are perforated in twelve
places, equidistant, the apertures
! being SON ewhat Of triangular
shape. Through these apertures
twelve blades, or spears rese bin Q
somewhat the fiukes OF an anchor,
are projected by machinery within
the rim Of the wheel As the sur
face of the wheel, revolving, comes
to the earth, these blades protrude
through the apertures and are
forced into the ground to prevent
the wheel from slipping, and as
soon as they cease to be of service
in tie progress of the wheel they
retreat within the rim and from the
uppermost side of the rim are not
seen at all These blades are sew
en- inches long and FIVE in width,
and may be projected to greater
| or less extent at the will. Of the
operator. They are operated by
two cams AMI two levers, quite
simple, and therr il no back strain
as the rim of the wheel leaves the
ground There are powerful
springs which come into use to re-
lieve the blades when they are pro-
/ jected against stones or other OBJ
structions. Upon practical tests,
there was found to be no slip to
the wheel, and the utility of the in
vention was fully established on
that point. Attached to the frame
! of this machine by strong chains
are three large plows, all cutting
distinct burrows The writer adds,
that it only remains to construct
machines upon this principle toi
every day use, with TIE imi rove
ments in detail that are requisite,
and the steam plow will ere long
be rolling over Western prairies-
the wonder and triumph of this
age Of invention
With the realization Of the sue
cess of the steam plow thus so con.
tidently predicted, we may safely
bespeak for agriculture that high
degree Of prosperity which is ths
well earned of an Industrious and
un,iring people.