Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1877-09-06
Plantation Engines.

Plantation Engines.
Am Essay Read before the Summer Meetinq
ot Tie State Grange at anderson, s. c.,
on the 9M Of august, 1877, BIZ Richard
1ozer, Esq, OF Columbia, Vice Presi-
dent Of tho State agricultural Society,"
Within the last 100 years steam has been
used for almost evory purpose where power
has been required. No motive power known
to man is equal to it, Engines of every
form aud size have been made and used
It has aided mankind in spreading ciziiza-
tion and Christianity TO- the most remote
part Of the known world. and without it
the commerce of tho world would be brought
to stundstIl, Tho plantation engine may
be said to date from 1919, when Mr.. VIM.
| Libby, of Charleston, built the first plartu-
tion engine thut We have any record Of, and
was used on rice plantation on the Com-
| bahee River. Previous to the war between
the States. this class of engine was knowu
to tho upper purt of this State, but tho
change in our labor system compelled our
pantc's to adopt labor saving machinery,
wherever it could be adoyted. And | know
OF Ii" machinery that has responded more
pruftably 10 the farmer than the steam
engine. No investment will pay better
! interest for the am0unt invested To gin
cotton with horse power, it takes four good
horses to run fifty saw gin. aud it they
turn out four bales per day they are doing
pretty well. 1t costs about 81 50 per day
TO feed this stock A goud six horsc engine
is capable of running two fifty saw gins, and
II the gins are 10 good order ;hey should
turn ont from ten to twelve bales per day,
at cost not exceeding fifty cents for fuel,
for an engine constructed on proper princi-
Piles ahonld not consume over half cord Of
wood to perform the above work. So YOU can
treadily perceive that there is much advan. i.
tage in using steam over animal power. The
same economy is obtaiued at whatever work
you apply the steam engiue to-,hrcshing
grain, grinding corn aud sugar oane and
saving lumber; for oven as small as six
horse engine Can be made to saw with a
thirty-six inch saw mill, costing about
S2O0, from twelve to fiftcon hundred feet of
timber per day. And here let me suy I
believe the plantation engine will do more
to solve the feuoe question than all the
legislation that can be brought to bear upon
the subject 1t a only the scarcity of fenco
material thnt agltates the question 80 much
With good stock of feuce lumber on hand
the farh.er can eusily keep up his fonces.
Besides his fences, with smetss saw mill
aud steam engine, he can always huve
stock Of lumber on hand for any improve.
mcnt he may desire to make.
There has been many improvements 10
the plantation engine since it's first intro
duct'on, but others arc yet 10 store for this
little FREUD OF the farmer. Whenever it is
requisite to move the present engine from
| oae locality to another, team has to be
taken from the field to move it. This is not
| economy; for the plantation engine having
| double the power it takes TO movo it's own
weight, should DC made to propel itself and
draw Whatever machine it is to work. This
Is done IN other countries. The arguments
that arises hero is our roads are bad True,
our roads are bad indeed, but they can be
improved, and there is ample room for our
County Com missoners to show us what thew
know about road making. Gentlemou, give
us good country road and we will give YOU
u plantation engine that will move over the
country without taking the team from the
fold at your busiest time, when your crops
need working most.
A few words on tho construction of
plantation engine, and oloae: The first and
most important part is the boiler; this
should be built of the best iron. The loco.
motive type isthe best stean, generator that
has yot been produced The Aues should,
for burning wood, not be less than two
inches nor larger than three inches, and
sufficient number introduced, with the sur.
fape, Of tho fire box, to give from ten to,
twelve square feet to the horse powor, aud
OF sufficient atrensth 70 Withstand pres