The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1871-07-01
AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENTS.


4
BY INVITATION OF MIR T. @. WILLIAMS,
of the county of Nottoway, number of gentle
men assembled at his residence Saturday, De
cember 10 to test by practical experiment erin the
featured by Starke 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 +, W. Eppes, ], ID. Williams, Robert
Scott, Jas s. Gillian, VIM. t. Christian, Rich
ard Eppes, DIR. Daring, Sidney Graves, Walton
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 lett
hand and Dixie right-hand. 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 n short trial 1t
was decided to take them into anotherfield where
the soil was welltrodden 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, as the contest
waxed warm most of the Judges took hold of 1t
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 lusti-
fly its publication
The award of the judges was unanimously in
favor of the Dixie on the following grounds:
LIST. 1t cut deeper furrow.
3D. 1t cut q 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 to determine to order
them for their own use.
]. NJ. HURT, Secretary.
| certify that the above was sent to the Rich
| mond "Whig'' 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. NJ HuRI.
| We, the Judges in the ''Plow Trial." on the
"Whg'' hereby certify that it was directed to be
| sent to that journal as n communication by the
judges who made the award.
| F.C. WILLIAMS,
| w. L. CHRISTIAN,
! JB. WILLIAMS,
January Q, ISL JAS. S. GILLIAN. B.
do not believe in pillow trials made by the
manufacturers themselves, but hope that every
| 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
p H. STARKE,
ap l2-w3m No. 1440 Main Street.