The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1882-09-09

VI. IL " W representing ne mauuIdC-
turers OF the implements. and Messrs. W. L.
Green and Ii. Macfarlane. agents for the firm in
this country, were also present.
For a month past the plough has been at work,
breaking up new ground at Spreckelsville. The
place chosen for the experiment is some four or
five miles south of the mills, about opposite Wal
kapu. The land here is almost level and very
suitable for the use of the steam plough, except
certain stony patches which have to be avoided.
Besides other weeds. the ground is full of the
china, the roots of which are very troublesome
IN ordinary plugging, spreading through the
soil, which is a highly tenacious clay.
When Colonel Spreckels and his guests arrived
on the ground, the plough was at work. After
it had made q number of rounds, and all present
had examined it and lie working, tested the con-
dl on in which il left the soil, measured the
d I'm of the burrows, and otherwise satisfied
themselves as to the quality of work the plough
was doing, it was detached and the barrow run
across the ground that had just been ~plOughed.
subsequently the patent turning cultivator was
attached TO the gear. The work of this imple-
ment ELECTED a general Outburst of astonishment
and satisfaction, at both its thoroughness and the
speed with which it was done. Some detailed
account of these capital implements will. no
doubt. he oi interest to our readers. As the
source Of power which enables US tn utilize these
labor-saYing contrivanccr, we will take
THE ENGINES
first in order. OF these there are two, exactly
alike, between which the cultivating implements
are pulled backwards and forwards, This inno-
walton upon the earlier system ui steam plough
ing, in which -iai, me engine. stationed at a
corner Of the ti-.i, vas used, is due to the dis
elimination Ut Mr.. Fowler. the head of the
present firm. WIN clearly saw that thus method
of cultrvatnn wnuid not become popular until
l.rna ,naft,H ua,. r.n,d and aonn,, fo-a no
tion to details. was devised. Under the old sys-
ten tine engine was fixed at one corner of the
patch To be ploughed, and a rop was carried all
around it, the plough passing backwards and for
wards between two frames, known as ile anchors,
which had 10 be constantly shifted. Mr.. Fnw-
Ter = first Improvement was To do away with one
OF these anchors and let the engine travel down
one side of the field. But every one who has
tried both systems has found the double-engine
method So incomparably the b'st aud simplest,
that 1t Is certain eventually to suIersede all con.
trivances for the Use of q single engine. The
engines supersede the anchors, and move
themselves; no long rope to pass round the
field Is needed and the Troublesome job of fixing
a pulley at the further corner for it to travel
round is d me away with. When first used at a
competitive exhibition the double engine pillow
had finished the whole OF Its seven acre test be-
fore that worked with a single engine hNd been
got into gear to make u start.
The engines imported for SPreckelsville have
all the latest improvements tnclr special feature
however is that they are compound engines. Al
though the compound system has SD long been in
use Tor marine engines and has revolutiOnized
steam traffic at sea, this is the first time that the
principle has been applied TO portable engines.
The steam enters the cylinder on the right hand
side of the engine which is 8 inches in diameter
at a pressure of from l20 to 40 lbs and having
done its work there passes into the other cylinder
winch is IA inches in diameter and is there ex-
panded. The steam being thus used both at
high and low pressure the saving Of fuel Is very
great. being estimated to be at least thirty per
cent. The engines at Spreckelsville are each of
"a h. p but develop an actual indicated b. p. of
20, moving at the rate of $50 revolutions per
minute. The length of the stroke is IA inches.
and when the engines are working at the above
named rate Of speed. the eye almost loses distinct
vision of the piston and valve rods.
The stroke gives direct motion to a
bevilled cog wheel which fits to a SINH
larry bcvilled pinion wheel OH a vertical
shaft at the side Of the engine. This
communicates Its motion by "a cog wheel to the
drum on which the wire rope is wound, which Is
also placed vertically. The diameter of the
drum heIng considerable, it makes about one re-
violation to five revolutions of the driving shaft
The drum is fixed below the boiler, having its
pin wheel on it's upper rim. That part of it on
which the rope is wound is nearly a foot deep
and easily accommodates the 400 yards of rope
used in ploughing, with a considerable spare
piece. An arm ATTACHED to the frame of the
engine carries II pair of guiding rollers through
which the rope runs in it's course TO and from the
drum. These rise and fall automatically as the
rope coils On the drum. thu laying il
properly. The gearing by which this is accom-
plished is situated beneath the drum. and 10 very
Ingenious. Ii is an invention Uf Mr.. Fowler
and ia patented.
The ordinary pressure of steam used is az al
ready stated 100 TO l40 lbs, hut the boilers have
been tested to $50 lbs. They and the gearing
and the steel wire rope will stand a breaking
strain OF 35 tons. Each engine weighs l6 ton,
but even in soft ground they move themselves
readily and can traverse ground in which q horse
would sink to his knees.
THE PLOUGH.
The plough itself is double, there being three
shares with their necessary frame work attached
To each end of the carriage. The arms supporting
these arg D~bliquely set 80 that when one end IL
pressed down to the ground the other is in the
air. Tue plough being ready to start the rope
IL seized by Il clip attached to the carriage and the
drum on the engine at the further end Of the line ID
put in motion, gently at first and then at full
speed, which means (as on several occasluns
timed by the writer of this notice, } rather more
than 400 feet per minute OF about Al miles per
hour. Ii requires two men to attend To the
plough. One sits on the carriage and attends III
the gear, having before him a little steering
wheel with which he guides the plough, keeping
one wheel Of the carriage in the outside furrow
oi the last ploughing. The other man sits on
the outer side of the plough, and his duty is to
Keep it clear of the weeds and other matter which
may clog the frame. As the plough moves away
the rope unwinds easily from the drum OF the
engine 1t is leaving which is ungeared from the
driving shaft in a simple manner. When the
plough reaches the end of the line the arm which
has been 10 the air is brought down for work.
u process which lifts the other clear Of the ground;
the shares are cleared Of the soil adiering to
them the plough is shifted to It's new position
and ia ready TO return. Meanwhile the engine
that Is to pull it back has shifted itself the ne
cessary distance. A strip 3 feet 9 inches wide
and 385 yards long is p~loughed at each opera
ton, and this. with the time necessary for