The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1871-07-12
AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENTS.
CTARKE's DIXIE PLOw.


BY INVITATION OF MIR F. c. WILLIAMS,
of the county of Nottoway, a number of gentle
men assembled at his residence Saturday, De-
cember 10, to test by practical experiment the
comparative value of the DIXIE PLOW, manu-
| featured by Starke 4 Co., and any other that
might enter the field of competition.
The plows were taken to the field at half
judges: f. w Eppes, ]. b. Williams, Robert
Scott, Jas. S. Gillian, VIM. IT, Christian, Rich
ard Eppes, DIR. Daring, Sidney Graves, Walton
| Sydnor +. O. Williams, q. N. Seay, and j. M.
Hurt Mr. S. Graves and Walton Sydnor were
| the principal plowmen. Mr.. w. Sidnor working
| the Watt plow, and S. Graves the Dixie-both of
whom handled them with mastery skill and
success
Those entered were the Dixie two-horse right and
| lefthand plows, and the Watt two-horse left
hand. Soon after the trial commenced, the beam
of the Dixie right-hand broke in two and was laid
aside, the contest being narrowed to the Watt left
hand and Dixie right hand The soil first selected
was q stubble loan without soil but as the plows
were new, and did not turn in consequence of the
roughness of the castings, after short trial it
was decided to take them into another field where
the soil was well-trodden, tenacious clay, with
q timothy sod covered with vegetation and with
straw. The pows here performed their work adj
mirably, cutting and turning without choking
As the Dixie was 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 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 was unanimously in
favor of the Dixie on the following grounds:
1st 1t cut a deeper furrow.
I'd 1t cut a wider furrow.
3d. 1t more effectually 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 to order
them for their own use. i4tN
J. M. HURT, Secretary.
certify that the above was sent to the Rich
mond Wing for publication by myself; that !
am not acquainted with Mr.. Starlse; 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.
january 7, 1871. ]. M. HURT.
We the Judges in the "Plow Trial" on the
'Whig," hereby certify that it was directed to be
sent to that journal as communication by the
J. M HURT,
fA +. g. VILLAINS,
W. T. CHRISTIAN,
J. b. WILLIAMS,
January 0, 1871 JAS. S. GILLIAN.
do not believe in pillow trials made by the
farmer will at make full trial of this DIXIE
with every pillow 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.
p H. STARKE,
ap l2-w3m -.E No. 1440 Main Street.