The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1871-08-12
AGRICULTURAL IMpLEMENTs.


y
by INVITATION OF MIR. f. O. wILLIAMs,
OF the county of Nottoway, number of gentle
men assembled at his residence Saturday, De-
cemDer ~ to st by praetie3l experiment erin the
featured by Starke h Co, and any other that
might enter the field of competition
The plows We're taken to the field at half
past two p. NJ, the following gentlemen acting
Judges; +. W. Eppes, ]. H. Williams, Robert
Scott, Jas. S. Gillian VIM T. Christian, Rich
ard Eppes, DIR. Daring, Sidney Graves, Walton
Sydnor, +. O. Williams, q. N. Seay and j M.
Hurt MIR. 5. Graves and Walton Sydnor were
the principal plowmen. Mr.. w Sidnor working
the Watt pillow, and S Graves the Dixie--both of
whom handled them with mastery skill and
success.
Those entered were the Dixie twohorse right and
left-hand plows, and the Watt two-horse left
hand. Soon after the trial commenced the beam
of the Dixie righthand 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 a short trial it
was decided to take them into another field where
the soil was q wel-trodden, tenacious clay, with
timothy sod covered with vegetation and with
straw. The plows here performed their work adj
mirabiy, cutting and turning without choking.
As the Dixie was new conner, as the contest
waxed warm most of the Judges took hold of it
to test personally its practical working. While
there is no intention to do injustice to any,
neither party had agent or Representatives pre-
sent, and both plows did well, yet the trial, with
the award of the judges, is deemed of sufficient
importance TO Inc interest OF agriculture to 1uStl
fly its publication.
The award of the judges was unanimously in
favor of the Dixie on the following grounds:
LIST. 1t cut 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. slUl
j. RI HURT, Secretary.
certify that the above was sent to the Rich
mond "Whig'' for publication by myself that
am not acquainted with Mr.. StaIke; that he had
never seen the paper and knew nothing of its
contents, and was in no wise party to the trial
of the plows alluded to.
January z, 1871. - ]. M. HURT
We, the Judges in the "Plow Trial, on the
Wing hereby certify that it was directed to be
sent to that journal as communication by the
judges who made the award.
JIM. HURT,
Il. O. WILLIAMS,
w. T. CHRISTIAN,
- j. b. WILLIAMS,
January 8, 1871 JAS. S. GILLIAN.
do not believe in plew trials made by the
farmer will at 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
PHI. STARKE,
APP 12-w3m No. l440 Main Street.