The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1871-06-06
S1ARKE'S DIXIE PLOW.

my INvITATI0NsoF MR.. y. c. WILLIAMS. OF
ID the county Of Nottoway, q number of gem
tlemen assembled at his residence Saturday, Decem-
Der TO- to tost by practical experiment the compar
alive value of the DIXIE PLOW, manufactured by
starks & Co, and any other that might enter the
The piows were taken to the field at half past two
P. NJ the following gentlemen acting as judges F.
W. Epos, J. D. Williams, Robert Scott, Jas 3. Gil
liam, VIM. T. Christian, Richard Epes DR.. Daring,
Sidney Graves, Walton Sydnor, F. q. Williams, O.
N. Sesy, and J. NJ. Hurt. Mr.. 8. Graves and Walton
gydnor were the principal plowmen, Mr.. W. Sydnor
working the Watt pillow and Graves the Dixie
both of whom handled them wi til mastery ak II and
success.
The pIows 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 rightha broke in two and laid
aside, the contest being narrowed to the Watt left
hand and Dixie lefthand. The soil first selected
was stubble loan without soil but Us the pows
were new, and did not turn in consequence Of the
rougness of the castings, after short trial 1t was
decided to take them into another held where the
soil was well-trodden, tenacious clay, With timo-
thy sod covered with vegetation and with straw.
The plows here performed their work admirably,
cutting and turning clear without choking.
As the Dixie 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, as neither
party had agent representative present. and 10th
plows old WE'LL yet the trial. with the award of the
Judges is deemed of sufficient importance to the in
terest of agriculture to justify its publication.
Inc aWnru OF tne JUDGES was Unanimously III lavor
of the Dixie on the following grounds:
1st 1t cut deeper furrow
3D. 1t cut wider furrow.
Sd 1t more effectually inverted the sod.
4th. The draft seemed to be no greater
9Th. The mechasical arrangement for altering cut
deemed more simple and efficient
At the conclusion Of the trial some of the judges
were SO pleased to determine to order them for
their own J. NJ. HURT, Secretary.
certify that the above sent to the Richmond
'sWhig" for publication by myself; that am not
acquainted with Mr.. Starke; that he had never
the paper aud knew nothing of its contents, aud
in wise party TO the trial of the plows alluded
to j. NJ. HURT
January Z, 1871.
We, the Iu ges in the "Pow Trial" on the farm of
Mr.. +. O. Williams, published in the Wing, hereby
certify that it directed to DO sent to that journal
as Communication by the judges who made the
award.
l,e HURT,
G WILLIAMS,
W 7 CHRISTIAN
B WILLIAMS,
JAS GILLIAN.
January 0, 1871.
do not believe in pillow trials made by the manu-
facurers themselves, but hope that every farmer
will at once make a full trial of the DIXIE with
every pillow he fnd and buy that which does the
best work. have not been able to supply the de-
mand, nor fill my orders for sometime, and must
leave feld-trials where they rightly beongto farm
PHI sTARKE
ap 13--w3m No 14a0 Main street.