The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1871-08-11
AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENTS.
STARKE'S DIXIE PLOw.

n
by INVITATION OFAIR. +. O. WILLIAMS,
OF the county of Nottoway, a number of gentle
men assembled at his residence Saturday, De-
cemoer 10, 70 test by practical experiment the
comparative value of The DIXIE PLOW, manu-
featured by Starl<e & Co., and any other that
| might enter the field of competition.
Inc plows were taken TO the field at half
past two r. M, the following gentlemen acting as
| Judges: +. w. Eppes, J. B. Williams, Robert
| Scott, Jas. :. Gillian, VIM. 4. Christian Rich
ard Eppes, Dr. Daring, Sidney Graves, Walton
Sydnor i. g. Williams, G., NJ Seay, and j. M
| Hurt. MIR. =. Graves and Walton Sydnor were
the principal plowmen. Mr. w. Sidnor working
| the Watt pillow, and 5. Graves the Dxe-both Of
success f.9.
Those entered were the Dixie two-horse right and
leit-hand plows, and the Watt twohorse 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-h The soil first selected
was stubble loan without soil but as the plows
were new, and did not turn in consequence of the
roughness of the castings, after II short trial it
was decided to take them into another field where
the soil was n well-trodden tenacious clay with
q 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 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 plows did wen, yet The trial. with
the award of the judges, is deemed of sufficient
importance to the interest of agriculture to nsti
fly its publication.
The award of the judges was unanimously in
favor of the Dixie on the following grounds:
LIST. 1t cut q deeper furrow.
I'd. 1t cut wider furrow
Sd. 1t more effectualy inverted the sod
4th. The draft seemed to be no greater. %.
0tn. 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. - II
j. II. HURT, Secretary
certify that the above was sent to the Rich
mond Wing for publication by myself; that L
am not acquainted with Mr. Starke; that he had
never seen the paper and knew nothing of its
contents, and was in wise q party to the trial
of the pows alluded to- A m ..li
January z, 1871. J. NJ HURT
We, the judges in the ''Plow Trial. on The
farm OF MIR. f. g. Williams, published in the
Wing" hereby certify that it was directed to be
sent to that Journal as q communication by the
judges who made the award. i.9i r
4.afai .iffn J. M. HURT,
+. O. WILLIAMS,
..aff ntN w. II. CHRISTIAN,
tlEt "a J. ID. WILLIAMS,
January 9, 1871 JAS. S. GILLIAN.
do not believe in plow trials made by the
manufacturers themselves, but hope that every
farmer will at once make Il full trial of the DIXIE
with every plow lie 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
to themselves.
~ 4I p. ii. STARKE,
ap l2-W3m No l440 Main Street.