The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1881-04-08

During = recent lecture Charles Garlic
ton Coffin said, In the Rhode Island
American OF 1890 the writer describes
The work of the plow that wa. in use In
Massachusetts called the "Old Colony !"
pl0w. He says; 1t had ten-foo.
beam and four. foot land side. The fur
rows which 1t makes stand up like the
ribs Of lean horse in the month OF
March. Six of these plows cost me on
an average rs eGch per annum to keep
the shares and coulters sharp. while the
other parts cost III more. making 20 for
each plow." ll
The implement in use on nv
fathers farm in my boyhood WINS Of
this description, made by the neighbour
ing carpenter and blacksmith. 1t re-
quired q team Of eight oxen to draw Il,
with q man riding on the beam to keep,
It In the ground, another TO follow with n
mattock to improve its imperfect work.
The first cast-iron plows made their
appearance about 1885. There was n
strong prejudice against them on the
part Of the farmer--a prejudice due
wholly to ignorancs. II was said that
cast-iron would poison the ground.
About the year 1870 plows made
their appearance which were constructed
with the best lines of draft.
From that time to the present host
offarmers and mechanics have set them
selves TO improve this implement OF
husbandry, till Mt last wc have the gang
plow on the Western prnhie, drawn by
four horses, blowing i've acres u day,
the plowman no longer walking, but
riding-a monarch driving his team
afeld.
In 1866 the Now York State Agricul-
tural society conducted series OF trials
to ascertain what lines of draft offered
the least resistance, and what form OF
plow would do the best work. In their
report 1t 10 stated that improvements to
that date had decreased the cost OF plow-
ing at least forty-two per cent. Since
that report there has been o great adj
vance In the onomies of husbandry.
It is estimated that the improvements
have decreased the cost OF blowing not
less than sixty per cent. during the GEN.
fury. The entire acreage under the
plow, In the United States in 1878, is
estimated at 10000 600 acres. II we
assume that 1t cost one dollar per acre
to pillow land, and II the saving over
} former methods Is even fifty per cent,
we find it equivalent to $40. O0O. coo. SO
much per annum which invention Is
accomplishing in this line of husbandry.
| 1ue kTeh Whub VI Tile hRElculLuf1St To-
day Is the steam pillow, or some method
by which blowing can be done more ex-
peditiously than with horses. / trust,
however, that no one In this audience
will rush hurriedly TO invent q pillow to
he driven by steam.
saw steam plow in Illinois, upon
which many thousands of dollars had
been expended, but which was 20 cum.
bersome that 1t could not be made to
work. saw a steam machine in Cali
iornia, in 1868, which cost $40, 600; by
the aid OF horses it went once across q
field and then was thrown aside. l saw
another in Minnesota, In 1870, which had
cost S25, 900, and which after a few trials
was broken up for old iron. Two gen.
tlemen in England have scent each more
than quarter OF a million dollars in
the attempt to produce q steam pillow
which would traverse the field, bui
have not succeeded. The steam pillow
in use In England il drawn by a station.
airy engine using wire rope. 1t is moi
90 economical as horse power, but q
larger acreage can be put in per day.