The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1871-06-08
STARKE'S DIXIE PLOW.

DY INvITATIoNiOF MR.. =. O. WILLIAMS, OF
| ID the county of Nottoway, number Of gem
tlemen assembled at his residence Saturday, Decem-
Der TO- to test by practical experiment the oompar-
alive value of the DIXIE PL0W, manufactured by
starke Co., and any other that might enter the
| field Of competition.
The plows we're taken to the field at half past two
P. NJ. the following gentlemen acting as judges r.
W. Epes, ]. B. Williams, Robert Scott, Jas B. Gil
liam, VIM. I. Christian, Richard Epe5, Dr. Daring,
| Sidney Graves, Walton Sydnor f. O. Williams g.
N. seay, and J. NJ. Hurt. Mr.. g. Graves and Walton
sydnor were the principal piowmen, Mr.. W. sydnor
| working the Watt pillow and s Graves the Dixie
both of whom handled them nth mastery skill and
success.
and left-hand plows, and the Watt two-horse left
hand. Soon after the trial commenced, the beam of
the Dixie righthand broke in two and laid
aside the contest being narrowed to the Watt left
hand and Dixie left 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 short trial it was
decided to take them into another field whore the
soil q well-trodden, tenacious clay, with timo
thy sod covered with vegetation and with straw
The plows here performed their work admirably,
cutting and turning clear 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, neither
party had agent representative present. and both
plows did we'll, 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 was unanimously In favor
of the Dixie on the following grounds
LIST. 1t cut a deeper furrow.
I'd. 1t cut wider furrow.
Sd. 1t more efectually inverted the sod
4th. The draft seemed to be no greater.
5th The mechanical arrangement for altering cut
was deemed more simple and efficient.
At the conclusion of the trial some of the judges
pleased to determine to order them for
their own use. j. M. HURT, Secretary.
certify that the above sent to the Richmond
"Whig" for publication by myself; that am
acquainted with Mr.. Starke; that he had never
the paper and knew nothing of it's contents, and
In no wise party to the trial of the plows alluded
to- J. NJ. HURT.
January 7, 1871.
We, the iu6ges In the "Plow Trial" on the farm of
Mr.. F. O. Williams, published in the Wing, hereby
certify that ii directed to be that journal
as communication by the judges who made the
award.
HURT,
@ WILLIAMS,
w 7 CHRISTIAN
j B WILLIAMS,
JAS GILLIAN
January 0, 1871.
/ do not believe in pillow trials made by the manu-
facturers themselves. but hope that every farmer
will at once make full trial of the DIXIE with
every pillow he can ind and buy that which does the
beat work. have not been able to supply the de-
mand, nor fill my orders for sometime, and must
leave feld-trias where they rightly belong-to farm
ers themselves.
P II sTARKE,
ap 13-w8m No 1440 Main street.