The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1871-08-19
AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENTS.
CTARKE'S DIXIE PLOw. -

STARkE's DIXIE PLoW. 4f--f--.---1
by INVITATION oFMR. +. q. wILLIAAis,
OF the county of Nottoway, number of gentle
men assembled at his residence Saturday, De
comparative value ain of he e DIXIE Pow 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
Scott, Jas. S. Gillian, VIM. T. Christian, Rich
sydnor + q. wi Williams yin q n sesy, and ), NJ.
Hurt Mr.. s. 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. ! 1854 .i4 b.tei = sio.1Ias I
l.. 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 rght-hand broke in two and was laid
aside, the contest being narrowed TO the Watt left
hand and Dixie right Inland. 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 2 short trial it
was decided to take them into another field where
the soil was well-trodden, tenacious clay, with
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 new conner, the contest
waxed warm most of the Judges took hold of IL
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
lue dWsiu u tue Judges, Is ueelnetl OF SuluclenI
Importance to the interest of agriculture to iusti-
fly its publication. l.i- III it;9Wf'' l..'l
The award of the judges was unanimously in
favor of the Dixie on the following grounds:
| list. 1t cut a deeper furrow.
ID. 1t cut a wider furrow. Nlh f
Sd. 1t more effectually inverted the Sod ~
4th. The draft seemed to be no greater. g. u,
| 9th. The mechanical arrangement for altering
cut was deemed more simple and efficient aiS
At the conclusion of the trial some of the
judges were so pleased as to determine to order
them for their own use q ,.-.ll.s Z .'iiit
la iii ln J. n HURT, Secretary.
certify that the above was sent to the Rich
mond "Whig'' for publication by myself; that
| am not acquainted with Mr.. StariSe; 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. .la - a
January 2, 1871 4 Hi J. NJ HURT.
We, the judges in the 'Plow Trial. on the
farm of Mr.. f. @. Williams, published in the
"Whig, hereby certify that it was directed to be
sent to that journal as communication by the
judges who made the award.
SAG J. M. HURT, a
r. h4 ~. hss &c. WILLIAMS,
If.; w. T. CHRISTIAN,
j. b. WILLIAMS, Z.
January 8, lS7l. JAS. S. GILLIAN.
1 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-trials where they rightly belong
Ito themselves. a,, t.ri. ,-s
p. II. STARKE,
APP l2-w3m No. 144o Main Street.
So