The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1871-09-12
AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENTS.
CTARKE's DIXIE PLow.

BY INVITATION OF MIR. L. @. WILLIAMS
OF the county of Nottoway, a number of gentle
men assembled at his residence Saturday, DE
cember 10, to test by practical experiment til,
comparative value of the DIXIE PiOW. manu-
featured by Starke Co., and any other tina
might enter the field of competition
The plows were taken to the field at hal
past two p NJ. the following gentlemen acting "A,
Judges +. w Eppes ]. d. Williams, Rober
scott, Jas 5; Gillian, VIM. T. Christian, Rich
ard Eppes, DR.. Daring, Sidney Graves, Walton
Sydnor, +. c. Williams, G. NJ Seay, and J. M
Hurt. Mr. S. Graves and Walton Sydnor were
me principal plowlnen. 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 two-horse 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 righthand. 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 n short trial it
was decided to take them into another field where
the soil was a well-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 a new conner, as the contest
waxed warm most of the judges took hold of it
to test personally its practical working While
mere Is no intention TO do injustice TO any, as
neither party had agent or representative pre-
sent and both plows did we'll yet the trial with
the award of the judges, is deemed of SUFFICIENT
importance 10 the interest OF agriculture to iusti-
fly its publication
The award of the judges was unanimously in
favor Of the Dixie on the following grounds:
LIST. IL cut deeper furrow
2d. II cut a wider furrow. 1rQ
so. III more effectually inverted the sod
4th The draft seemed to be no greater
oth Inc 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 to determine to order
them for their own use. tii4
J. n. HURT, Secretary.
certify that the above was sent to the Rich
mond Wing for publication by myself; that I
am not acquainted with Mr.. StaIke; that he had
never seen the paper and knew nothing of its
contents, and was in no wise o party to the trial
of the plows alluded to-
January T. 1871. JIM HURT
We, the judges in the "Plow Trial. on the
i ilrI OF Mr. +. @. Williams, published in the
wing hereby certify that it was directed to be
sent to that journal a -ooInmunica ton by the
judges who made the award. il II
J. M HURT
+. G. VILLAINS
w. T. CHRISTIAN,
J. ID. WILLIAMS,
January 0, 1871. JAS. S. GILLIAN.
do not believe in plow trials made by the |
farmer will at once make full trial Of the DIXIE |
with every plow 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
p H. STARKE
ap lz-W3ms No. l4lO Main Street.