The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1871-07-11
AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENTS.
C , DIXIE PLow.

IL
BY INVITATION OF MIR +. O. WILLIAMS,
of the county of Nottoway, a number of gentle
men assembled at his residence Saturday, De-
cember 10, to test by practical experiment the
comparative value of the DIXIE PLOW, manu-
featured by Starlxe & Co., and any other that
might enter the field of competition.
The plows were taken TO the field at half
past two p. M, the following gentlemen acting as
Judges: +. w. Eppes, r. b. Williams, Robert
Scott, jas. s. Gillian, Vim. t. Christian, Rich
ard Eppes, DIR. Daring, Sidney Graves, Walton
Sydnor, 3 z; Williams, e T n; Seay. and ). M;
the principal plowmen Mr. w. Sdnor working
the Watt pillow, and s. Graves the Dixie--both of
whom handled them with mastery skill and
success.
Those entered were the Dixie two-horse right and
left-hand 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 a stubble loan without soil but as the plows
were new, and did not turn in consequence of the
roughness of the castings, after short trial it
was decided to take them into another field where
the soil was q wcll-trodden, tenacious clay, with
a timothy sod covered with vegetation and with
straw The plows here performed their work adj
mirably, cutting and turning without choking.
As the Dixie was a new conner as the contest
waxed warm most Of the judges took hold of 1t
to 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 justi
fly its publication.
The award of the judges was unanimously in
favor of the Dixie on the following grounds
LIST. 1t cut a deeper furrow.
I'd. 1t cut a wider furrow.
: Sd. 1t more effectually 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 were SO pleased as TO determine to order
them for their own use.
JIM HURT, Secretary
certify that the above was sent to the Rich
mond 'Whig'' for publication by myself; that
am not acquainted with Mr.. StarlSe that he had
never seen the paper and knew nothing of its
of the plows alluded to. .--
January 7, 1871. ]. MI. HURT
We, the Judges in the "Plow Trial. on the
farm of Mr.. +. @. Williams, published in the
"Whig" hereby certify that it was directed to be
sent to that Journal as a communication by the
judges who made the award ssts.
J. M. HURT,
3ssg- ss F.C. WILLIAMS,
w. 7. CHRISTIAN,
s1 li4 j. b. WILLIAMS .
January 0, 1871. JAS. S. GILLIAN.
do not believe in pillow trials made by the
manufacturers themselves, but hope that every
farmer will at once make n full trial of the DIXIE
does the best work. have been not able to supply
the demand, nor fill my orders for sometime, and
must leave fleld-trials where they rightly belong
Ito themselves.
p H. STARKE,
ap 12-w3m t No. 144O Main Street.