New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1870-12-10
OFFICIAL JOURNAL or STATE LOUISIANA.
ORLEANS SATURDAY DECEMBER 1870
AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT.

AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT.
The REPUBLICAN of the sixteenth Of June
last contained an article, calling public at
tention, and especially the attention of ag-
riculturalists, to a series of farm labor
saving machines, which, if brought into
successful operation, would contribute i'm
mensely to the agricultural development Of
the South. The inventor of these machines,
Mr.. Henry Cowing, citizen of Louisiana,
was, at the time, about to bring his inven-
tions to the notice of the New Orleans
Chamber Of Commerce. The following is
the report made by committee Of the
chamber, to whom the whole subject was
referred:
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.,
New Orleans, November, 1870.
To the President Of tho New Orleans Chamber Of
Commerce:
SIR-Your committee, to whom was re-
ferred the paper of Mr.. Henry COwing, re-
lating to his various inventions, by which it
is proposed to cheaper and greatly facilitate
agricultural labor, beg leave to report that
of necessity, been partial and not ex-
haustive, for the want of the mechanical
knowledge necessary to a full understand
ing of all the details and 0utwOrklngs, when
practically applied. But, in view of the
skill and labor evidently bestowed by Mr..
Cowing in the preparation of his numerous
plans, the committee report that they are
deserving of the consideration Of those
who are engaged in agricultural pur-
suits. And, while your committee do
not consider the subject in hand
as properly belonging to the department of
commerce, but rather to that of agriculture,
yet SO intimately connected are the two, one
necessarily developing the other, that, in
the absence Of an organized association of
agriculturists to which reference could be
made, your committee deem it but proper to
recommend Mr.. COwing's plans, as being
worthy of the consideration and liberal sup
port of the agricultural community, who
are interested in determining by actual ex-
pertinent all that he claims in behalf Of his
inventions.
(Signed) WILLIAM C. BLACK,
Chairman.
MOSES GREENWOOD,
ED.<NEWMAN.
certify the foregoing to be true and
correct copy of the report made to the
Chamber Of Commerce.
ARTHUR C. WAUGH,
Secretary and Treasurer Chamber of Com
merce.
This report adds one more to the testi-
monials that the inventions of Mr.. COwing
are we'll worthy Of public attention. The
difficulties with which Mr.. COwing has had
to contend, pecuniary and all the others
| that beSet the man who produces an
| original idea, have been very great. Slowly
| he is surmOunting them and he is confident
| that in a short time he will be able to COM
| plete his agricultural machine, and when
| that is once in operation before the agricul-
tural public, Mr.. Cowing feels no doubt that
| the adjunct machines can be easily COM
pleted. The following is a succinct
description of what is claimed by the in
| ventor of the agricultural machine:
|. 1t will break up land and depth from
two to eighteen inches deep, and in doing
SO break it in successive slices, pulverising
| the soil. and turning it upside down as
| thoroughly as it can be done with the
| spade, something that the scientific agricul-
turist has so long desired, and it is done
with great economy of power.
9. If only from four to six deep is re-
| quired, it will loosen out the centres or wa
ter burrows any depth, and throw four OF
six burrows together, making nice bed to
plant upon.
g. For planting cane it will open the fur.
row any depth to drop the cane in, and lay
off the ground at the same time, SO that all
| the rows are parallel and the same distance
apart.
4. When the cane is dropped, it will cover
it any depth and press it down, all at one
operation, all Of which can be done at the
rate Of ten acres per day, at the speed Of
horsepower.
S. For corn, or cotton, or potatoes, it will
plow, pulverize, lay of and plant, cover and
press down, all at one operation, so that the
soil is not dried up before the seed is put in
as is often the case by the present mode
of cultivation.
6. When the crops are four or five iuchet
high, the top crust is thoroughly pulverized
| the soil is then barred off and thrown back
with as much more or less as desired.
7. When the crop is twelve or sixteen
inches high the soil is thoroughly loOsenet
before the plow enters, which takes anG
applies two burrows to each side of tn.
plant, in a most perfect manner, so that n.
hOeing is required.
| 8. When the crop is four or five feet higl
the machine passes between the rows, break
out the centres and lays by the crop in
| perfect manner, saving about seven-eighth
manual labor and one-half the horse powe
required in the old process.
9. For cane stubble, it will shave it off a
any depth, bar it of, or it will lower tn
stubble four or six inches deeper, making
equal to planted cane.
Mr.. Cowing has already disposed of /;
number of shares in the machine, and viii
part with few more, in order to bring tn
structure of the machine, now in progress
to speedy completion.