The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1871-09-05
IRON FRONTS,
AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENTS.
cTARKE's DIXIE PLow.

BY INVITATION OF MIR. F. c. WILLIAMS,
of the county of Nottoway, q, number OF gehiie-
cember 10, to test by practical experiment the
comparative value Of the DIXIE PLOW, manu-
featured by Starke & Co, and any other that
might enter the field of competition ,.,lL .
The pIows were taken TO the field AZ hal1
past two p. NJ the following gentlemen acting as
Judges E EPpes p Williams hriIfisp h Reh
ard Eppes, Dir. Daring, Sidney Graves, Walton
Sydnor, +. o. Williams, q. N. Seay, and j. M.
Hurt. Mr.. S. Graves and walton syunor were
the principal plowmen. Mr. w; Sidnor Worlsng
the Watt pillow, and $. Graves the Dixie-both OF
whom handled them with mastery skill and
success. ri,ss.slr 81 40 - ite
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 iaid
aside the contest being narrowed to the Wait lett
hand and Dixie right-hand. The soil first selected
was q stubbe loan without soil; but as the ploWs
were new, and did not turn in consequences OF tne
roughness of the castings, after q short trial IL
was decided to take them into another held where
the soil was a wel-trodden, tenacious clay, WIN
timothy sod covered with vegetation and with
straw The plows here performed theirWork ad-
miraby, cutting and turning without choking;
AS the Dixie was a new conner, as 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 10 any, as
neither party had agent or representative pre-
sent, and both pows did well, yet the trial, with
the award of the judges, is deemed of sufficient
importance to the interest of agriculture to Justi-
| fly its publication.
| The award of the Judges unanimously i'll
favor of the Dixie on the following grounds
LIST. 1t cut a deeper furrow.
| I'd. 1t cut a wider furrow.
| 3D. 1t more efIectually 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 10 order
'''''' ~ '''s'' J.M HURT, Secretary,
| certify that the above was sent to the Rich
mond 'Whigi for publication by nyself that l
| am not acquainted with MIR. Starke; that he had
never seen the paper and knew nothing OF us
contents, and was in no wise a party TO the trial
of the plows alluded to. ,,,,
January 7, 1871. .G >. NJ Hohl,
We. the Judges in the ''Plow Trial" ON the
| farm of MIR. F. O. Williams, published IN the
''Whig' hereby certify that it was directed 10 be
sent to that journal as communication by the
M. HURT,
+. G. WILLIAMS,
w. T. CHRISTIAN,
j. b. WILLIAMS,
January 0, 1871. JAS S. GILLIAN.
do not believe in plow trials made by the
manufacturers themselves, but hope that every
farmer will at once make a full trial of the DIXIE
with every pow he can find, and buy that whicf
does the best work / have been not able TO supply
the demand, nor fill my orders Tor soinelme, ant
must leave tleld-trials where they nghtiy peiont
W Wy p H. STARKE,
l2-wsm No 144o Main Street.