The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1871-06-29
AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENTS.
CTARKE's DIXIE PLOw.

BY INVITATION OFF MIR. 1. q. 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 Starle & Co., and any other that
might enter the field of competition
The plows were taken to the field at half
past two p. NJ, the following gentlemen acting as
judges F. w, Eppes j, d. Williams, Robert
Scott, Jas s. Gillian, VIM. T. Christian, Rich
ard Eppes, DIR. Daring, Sidney Graves, Walton
Sydnor, f. G.. Williams, e. N Seay, and j. M.
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.
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 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 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
a 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 it
to test personally its practical working While
there is no intention to do injustice to any, as
neither party had agent representative pre-
sent, and both plows 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 deeper furrow.
I'd. 1t cut 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 pleased as to determine to order
them for their own use. ..
J. M HURT Secretary.
certify that the above was sent to the Rich
mond ''Whg'' for publication by myself; that
am not acquainted with Mr.. Starke; 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. J. M. HURT.
We, the judges in the "Plow Trial" on the
farm of MI. +. @. Williams, published in the
Wing" hereby certify that it was directed to be
judges who made the award.
J. M. HURT,
+. c. WILLIAMS,
w. Il. CHRISTIAN, |
J. B. WILLIAMS,
January 0, 1871. 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 tosupply
the demand, nor fill my orders for sometime, and
must leave fieldtrials where they rightly belong
to themselves
p H. STARKE
ap l2-w3m No. l440 Main Street. !