Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-05-18
Il USEFUL INTENTION.

a Great Saving of Power in PIowing-A
Test of Great Interest TO the Farming
Community.
Some time ago a gentleman in Maine,
after much study and thought, invented
something which promises to prove of
great benefit to farmers. 1t has always
been a great point with farmers to find
something that would remove the weight
or pressure of the sod from the pillow when
turning the furrow. In breaking three
horses are usually required. If pillow
can be invented that will turn the
sod with two horses, of course, any one
can see that the expense of buying, and
keeping a third horse, is saved to the
farmer. No argument IS needed to show
that this is clear gain to the husbandman,
and very important one, too. This is
precisely what is claimed for the invention
referred to. Several gentlemen in st.
Paul and Minneapolis having seen this
Invention concluded at once, that it look
ed as though it must necessarily accom-
plish the object in view. The invention
is very simple one indeed and the real
thing to be surprised at is that
it has not been put into
practice before. 1t consists in placing
three rollers in the mold-board of the
pillow, which carry the furrow above the
mold-board and prevents it from sticking
to it and thus pressing down, and making
it tight in the ground, thus requiring
greater force to draw the plow along. There
are also two large rollers in the rear of the
pillow which lift the pillow up and also aid in
carrying it along. Nothing simpler, or less
complicated could be thought of,
and 40 one that has yet seen this
Invention has failed to express his
surprise at it's simplicity, and to see at
once that it must be successful. The
gentlemen referred to above were so
strongly impressed with the certain useful
ness and success of the invention that they
concluded to give it a thorough test for
the purpose Of confirming their opinion,
or demonstrating that they had been mis-
taken in the Judgment they had formed.
This test was made with view to taking
hold of the invention and introducingit if
it should prove to be what they regarded it.
Wit h this object in view, half a dozen
gentlemen from ST. Paul and about the same
number from Minneapolis yesterday met
on the prairie, at Minhehaha and pro-
ceeded to make the test. A John Deere
pillow, manufactured at Moline, ILL.,, was
brought out to make the test against the
roller pillow. This is regarded as the best
pillow made, and good deal of curiosity
was manifested to see which was the best
implement for turning the sod. A dyn-
amometer was attached to the front of the
pillow and also to the Whiffietree for the
purpose of measuring the power required
to drag the plows. The first trial was
made with the John Deere pillow,
which showed an average of
GLIB pounds of power. At the conclusion
of this test the dynamometer was attached
to the roller pillow which showed 429
pounds of power, OF about enc quarter less
power to draw the roller pillow through the
ground than it did to draw the John Deere
pillow through. The furrow made by the
roller pillow was both wider and deeper
than that made by the JOHN Deere pillow.
Various other similar tests we're made, all
of which showed conclusively that the
roller pillow required very much less power
than the other. On this point there was NO
question. The experiment was very salts
factory. Other tests are to be made, so as
to demonstrate to the satisfaction of all
that there is no mistake about the matter.
This invention can be attached to any kind
of plow. At the conclusion of the test
the parties separated very we'll satisfied of
the usefulness of this invention.