Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1882-05-31
Trial of Harr0Ms.

we Athcnoeu = tTlal Vi uhIEOWs on Tue
meadow Of E. S. Wood, Esq, in Pomfret,
on the 9th inst, which was quite interest
ing TO US and the many others attending
it. There were present the following inn
plements: The "Acme," made by Nash &
Bros, New York, Mr.. H. Miller. agent;
the ala Dew" Everett S Small, Boston,
II. V. Whipple. agent; the Randall"
Belcher & Taylor, Chickopee, Mass, An
drew Wiley Sc Son, agents; and the Perry
spring TOOTH" Mr.. ]. Childs e Co., Utica,
N. T., L. d. Leavitt. agent. We noticed
present citizens from all the ad joining
towns; and the working of various imple-
ments was carefully noted by the "com.
mittee of the whole" The soil was clay
loan, which was too wet for working
we'll. and on which was spread pretty
heavy coat Of lumpy manure. About the
first thing which was made plain was that
4 harrow that would do four times the
amount of work Of an old "spike TOOTH"
couldn't be drawn at the same power;t hey
require more team or they are "horse kill
ers."
The La Dow aud Randall are different
adaptations Of the wheel harrow, which is
a series of iron or steel discs coucave and
convex like large saucer, with an axle,
to which they are fixed, running through
their centers. A pole for draft is attached
to the axle and seat for the driver is
fixed. In thcir working principle there
is little difference. As the harrows are
drawn forward the discs or wheels re.
volve, cutting down into the soil, and
turning it up as itgoes on. The "Rsndalr'
turns the soil towards the centre. while the
"La Dow" turns it from the center, by
which the dead and open burrows are moro
readily filled and the land left smoother
than with the Randall. Both covered the
manure equally well, and to the eye there
was no perceptible difference in draft.
The Acme" is series of curved stool
plates attached to the underside of n
straight plank and acting like small plows,
cutting into and turning up the soil. In
front is another plank, jointed TO the first,
which can be raised or lowered to smooth
any inequalities Of surface or break hard
Jumps of soil. In this wet soil and coarse
manure it clogged little. Wo should
think the Acme" an excellent harrow fol
seeding down. The Perry spring tooth
is lattice frame harrow with covered
steel springs which ended in small
rsund pointed shovel. The lattice frame
drags on the ground, and the depth OF
work done i, guaged by setting the teeth
down more or less. This harrow loaded
some by the wet soil and manure being
thrown up on to the top of the frame.
The implements all did good work, and
we could see that no one Of them embodied
all the best points for all the different kinds
of work, soil, etc. While one might be
better for working in manure and fitting
land for seed bed, another might do
better to cover the seed after it was sown.
We thought the wheel harrows took the
most attention and were rather the favor
ties, and of these, while we should not be
able frem seeing a trial to give a positive
opinion, we rather inclined to the La Dow
and think if we we're to buy harrow we
should want to try that before buying;
and another thing, we were more fully
confirmed in the opinion he have before
expressed, that no farmer should buy such
costly implements on any agents "say
&c." but take it and give it fair trial and
see whether it Is what you want, and any
agent who will not grant this lacks conf
dence in his goods, or he is in no puckcl
10 sell.