Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1883-11-08
Farm and Home.
Sulky Plow Points.

The plow On wheels, or the sulky pillow.
is comparatively modern, and even now it is
unknown so far as practical knowledge of
It's workings is acerned in many sections
Of our farming community. The sulky pillow
has had TO fight against a prejudice which
was almost nstinciively formed in the minds
Of farmers. When il was proposed to add
to the weight Of pillow an iron suiky frame
and a man TO ride on it. the ready presump-
ton that it would prove "horse-killer" was
quite natural. Nevertheless. sulky plows
found their way into use, aud one ofthe
first discoveries made was that the blowing
done by the sulh pillow was far superior TO
the work done by the walking pillow. All
surface trash and vegetation were complete
ly turned under, and the pillow being held
firmly down to its work, there was no
scratching, but thorough overturning Of
the soil. 1t W. found that when work was
done in the same field with walking pillow
and suiky plow that the crops themselves
showed the work of each pillow. the latter in
variahly producing better, larger and earlier
crops. Thi, is now well established AMI
generally admitted fact. In many portions
of tie west farmers refuse to let out land on
shares without the stipulation that the work
is TO be done with sulkv plow. Until re-
Gently this has been one Of the strongest
claims put forward by the manufacturers Of
sulky plows. The invention and adoption
Of the power-li'', by which the exertion Of
raising the pillow from the ground is trans
ttIred from the driver to the horses. deyel-
oped another advantage. ANY boy. girl or
woman capable Of driving team can do the
work as well as the strongest man. 4 pres
sure Of the fingers on the hand-catch now
accompishes what before required the mus
cles Of strong arms on a lever.
There is now. however, claim advanced
which to the average farmer will have great
cr weight than all the Others and that is
that the sulky pillow actually runs lighter
than the walking plow. BY the attachment
Of dvnamome'er which measures the force
required to ? ! the pillow through the
ground, the draft can be measured as readily
and correctly as a load Of corn can be weigh
ed. BY actual tests in the field made by
practical and disinterested farmers a prop
erly constructed sulky plow has invariably
shown Lighter draft than a walking pillow do
ing the same work. To many this state
ment will appear false on its face The
question VIII be at once asked, chow can
you add the ut Of a carriage and driv-
er to piow. a! then make it draw light
err" We might answer BY pointing out a
heavy log which is TO be drawn from the
field. Attach chain TO the log and hitch
your horses to it; they tug and strain but
they can't move it. Now load it on
heavy farm wagon or trucks. put driver
on. also. and see how easily the horses will
walk off even with this increased weight.
Now it is the same with the sulkv pillow.
The pillow is carried on wheels it is not
smoked or dragged through the ground,
and with but little friction on the Landslide
the resistance to the very lowest point. If
it is manifest advantage to carry any other
load on wheels, why not the pillow 3? Try a
good sulky pillow of superior make and es-
tablished reputation, and if the test is made
thoroughly and with good judgment, it will
prove Itself good for both man and beast"
-Hestern Pl0wmaR.