Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1871-07-20
Trial of PIOws.

To the Editor ofths Vermont Farmer
One of the wants of the Vermont far
mers for several years, has been pillow SO
constructed as to turn both side hill and
level land with the same implement
Most farmers have become disguised with
deep burrows and ridges, and have been
seeking for a remedy. Col. Mead, OF
Randolph, agent for the Holbreok Swivel
pillow, expressed wish to exhibit that pillow
to the farmers of Passumpsic and vicinity.
Hon. +. A. Parks, President of the Pas
sumpsic Farmers Club, invited the agent
of side-hill and swivel plows to a blowing
match on his farm near Passumpsic Vii.
lage, May 31st, under the auspices Of
said Club.
Col. Mead exhibited two sizes of the
Holbrook pillow, No. 7 A and No. 2 A,
the former for breaking and the latter for
stubble land. The first named by a
change of moldboard at a small cost
could be used as stubble pillow.
Russell Hallet, Esq, st Johnsbury, ex-
hibited the rotary double plow from Bel
cher & Taylor, Chicopee Falls, and A. R.
Lucas, of St Johnsbury, a common side
hill pillow from Whittemore, Blecher, &
Co., Boston, Mass.
AT the suggestion of a member of the
Club, the President appointed J. P. Fos-
ter, VIM. Adams, R. G. Moody and Milo
Lawrence, members of the Club present,
a committee to conduct the trial and re-
port to the secretary.
Col. Mead claimed that his plow would
IL oxooI 10 ~
level land that the moldboard and share
were so arranged as to work wedgellke,
thereby lifting the furrow slice, and the
moldboard being convex it pulverized the
soil, leaving it it better condition for the
harrow that the draft was less than
plows with concave moldboard; that the
coulter was regulated by springs so as to
cut the exact with the pillow was guaged
to turn.
Mr.. Hallet claimed that his pillow would
turn fiat burrows on side-hill or level land,
would turn good furrow on a slight up
grade ; bad similar spring and fixtures for
regulating the width of the furrow,
and was a great Improvement on the side
hill pillow now in use.
Mr.. Lucas claimed that his was good
old fashioned side hill pillow.
After many trials of each plow, except
the Lucas pillow which proved to be out of
repair and was Withdrawn after the first
furrow, by the different members of the
committee who tested them with the wide
and narrow, deep and shallow burrows,
and in every form necessary to test their
capacities and capabilities, the committee
reported that the Hallet pillow did good
work and accomplished all he claimed for
1t. They also found after the most rigid
test that Holbrook plows were not over
rated by the agent. The furrow instead
being packed hard as is usual with the
plows now in use, was left lower and par
TALLY pulverized, reducing the labor OF
narrowing one half, and they unanimously
recommended the Holbrook pillow to the
favorable attention of intelligent and pro-
gressve farmers.
1t is worthy of note that the Holbrook
plows and the one exhibited by Mr.. Hal
lett were the invention of intelligent far
mers, who knew their worth and had the
mechanical skill to bring them to thei
present degree Of perfection, for which
they deserve the thanks and patronage O
the farming community.
JONATHAN LAWRENCE,
Secretary PasSompSjc Farmers Club