The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1871-06-07
STARKE'S DIXIE PLOW.

ny INvITATIoNlOF MR.. +. c. WILLIAMS, OF
Ii the county Of Eottoway, number of gen.
tIemen assembled at his residence Saturday Deem
Der TO- to test by practical experiment the comper-
alive value of the DIXIE PL0W, manufactured by
starke & Co., and any other that might enter the
Tile pIogs we're taken to the field at half past two
p NJ, the following gentlemen acting as judges y.
w. Epes j. B. Williams, Robert Scott, JAS. s. Gil
liam, VIM T. Christian, Richard Epes' UT; barring
N seay, and J. 81. Hurt. Mr.. g. Graves and walton
sydnor were the principal plowmen. Mr. w. sydnor
working the Watt pillow and 9 Graves the Dixie
both of whom handled them wi th mastery SIX II and
success.
The piows entered were the Dixie ohorse right
and left-hand plows, aud the Watt two.horse LEFT.
hand. Soon after the trial commenced, the beam Of
the Dixie righthand broke in two and was laid
aside the contest being narrowed to the Watt left.
hand and Dixie lefthand The soil frst 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 1T was
decided to take them into another Held where, the
soil was well-rodden, tenacious clay, with timo-
thy sod covered with vegetation and with straw.
The pows here performed their work admirably,
cutting aud turning clear without choking.
As the Dixie new conner. as the contest
waxed warm most of the judges took hold OF It TO
test personally its practical working. While there
is intention to do injustice to any, as neither
party had agent representative present, and 10th
pows did well, yet the trial. with the award OF the
Judges is deemed of sufficient Importance to the In
terest of agriculture to justify its publication.
The award of the judges unanimously in favor
of the Dixie on the following grounds:
1st. 1t cut deeper furrow.
I'd. 1t cut wider furrow.
3D. 1t more effectuay inverted the sod.
4th The draft seemed to be greater.
5th. 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, JIM HURT, Secretary.
I I certify that tho above sent to the Richmond
ewing" 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 wise party to the trial OF the plows alluded
to J. NJ HURT.
January 7, 1871.
We, the iu ges in the "Pow Trial." the farm of
Mr. f. G. Williams, published in the Wing, hereby
certify that directed to be cent to that journal
as communication by the judges who made the
award. g.
J HURT,
% WILLIAMS
W 7 CHRISTIAN,
] d WILLIAMS,
JAS GILLIAN.
January 8, 1871.
do not believe in pillow trials made by the manu-.
facturers themselves, but hope that every farmer
viii at once make full trial of the DIXIE with
every pillow he ind and buy that which does the
best work. l have not been able to supply the de-
mand, nor fill my orders for sometime, and must
leave fedtrials whore they rightly belong-to fai m
ers themselves.
PHI sTARKE,
an I3-w3m No 1440 Main street.