The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1871-08-21
AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENTS
CTARKEs DIXIE rLow.

-
BY INVITATION OF MIR. +. G. WILLIAMs,
men assembled at his residence saturday. De
ccmber 10, to test by practical experiment the
comparative value of the DIXIE PLOW, manu-
iactnred by Starke & Co., and any other that
might enter the field of competition.
Inc plows Were taken to the field Mt half
past TWO 7 M the following gentlemen acting as
Judges; r. W. Eppes, ]. d. Williams, Robert
ard Eppes, Or. Daring Sidney Graves, Walton
Syunor, r. .. Williams, q. N. s;eay, and ] M.
hurt Nh ,. Graves and Walton Sytlnor were
the principal plowmen. Mr. w. Sdnor working
the Watt pillow, and S. Graves the Dixie-both of
whom handled them with mastery skill and
Those entered were the Dixie two horse right and
ieichand plows, and the Watt two-horse left
hand. Soon after the trial commenced the beam
OF the Dixie right-hand broke in two and was laid
aside the contest being narrowed to the Watt left
hand and Dixie right-hand. The soil first selected
was stubble loan without soil; but as the ploWs
We're new, and did not turn in consequence of the
roughness of the castings after short trial IL
was decided to take them intoanother field where
the soil was q well-trodden, tenacious clay with
a timothy sod covered with vegetation and with
straw, me plows here performed their work adj
miraDiy, cutting and turning without choking.
AS the Dixie was q new conner, as the contest
waxed warm most of the judges took hold of it
70 test personally its practical working. While
there Is no intention TO do injustice to any, as
neither party had agent or representative pre-
sent, and both plows did well, yet the trial with
the award of the Judges, is deemed of sufficient
Importance to the interest of agriculture to iusti-
fy its publication
The award of the judges was unanimously in
favor of the Dixie on the following grounds:
LIST. 1t cut q deeper furrow.
ID 1t cut wider furrow.f
Sd. 1t more ellectually inverted the sod
4th. The draft seemed to be no greater
9th. The mechanical arrangement for altering
cut was deemed more simple and efficient.
At the conclusion of the trial some of the
Judges We're so pleased as to determine to order
them for their own use. 90 fE ld
r JIM. HURT, Secretary.
certify that the above was sent to the Rich
mond Wing for publication by myself; that
am not acquainted with Mr. Starse that he had
never seen the paper and knew nothing of its
contents, and was in no wise a party to the trial
OF the plows alluded to- I4
January 7, 1871. .fl J. M. HURT
We, the Judges in the ''Plow Trial. on the
farm of Mr.. f. G. Williams published in the
Wing hereby certify that it was directed to be
sent TO that Journal us communication by the
judges who made the award
.i'9. j. M. HURT, overt
IA. Ha sat Fu F.C. WILLIAMS,
w. T.. CHRISTIAN,
j. b. WILLIAMS
January Q, 1871. RI JAS. S. GILLIAN. sy.I
do not believe in pow trials made by the
manufacturers themselves, but hope that every
farmer will ut once make full trial of the DIXIE
with every pillow he can find, and buy that which
does the best work have been not able to supply
the demand, nor fill my orders for sometime, and
must leave field-trals where they rightly belong
to themselves
r. IT, STARKE
ap 12-w3m No. l4i0 Main Street