MECHANICS AND USEFUL ARTS. 91 



contact with the ground, and its load is proportionally less liable to mirin"- 

 in sloughs. 



Tenth : The difference of power between running the engine on plank or 

 hard road, and common prairie, would be great; but that between running 

 on ordinary ground, and ground so soft that the drum would sink four 

 inches, we have no means of knowing. It is evident, however, from the ex- 

 planations in the preceding answer, that ground in such condition that a 

 drum six feet in diameter and six feet long would move to that depth, 

 would be entirely unfit to plough, and could not be even crossed by horses. 



Having thus in detail answered the interrogatories propounded to us by the 

 Executive Committee, we desire to make some general remarks with refer- 

 ence to the practicability of employing steam for ploughing, and other farm 

 purposes. The experiments with Fawkes's steam ploughing engine have 

 demonstrated to our satisfaction that it is practicable that, in a few years, a 

 large portion of the labor now performed by animal power on the farm will 

 be superseded by steam, especially in prairie countries, and on well-improved 

 farms, where but few stones or other obstructions exist. 



The engine here exhibited is intended only for large operations, being ca- 

 pable of breaking from 25 to 40 acres per day; but we see no reason why 

 its size may not be reduced very considerably (say to one-fourth), and still 

 successfully compete with animal power. 



We estimate the cost of ploughing by it from the following very liberal 

 data : 



USED PER DIEM. 



One ton of coal $5.00 



One cord of wood, 3.00 



Labor of three men engineer, fireman, and assistant, . . 4.00 



Oil, etc., 1 00 



Ordinary wear and tear, 2.00 



Interest 10 per cent, on $4000, 1.12 



Total, $16.12 



With the most liberal allowance for hauling water and coal one mile, for 

 stoppages and turnings, the machine should plough 25 acres per day. At 

 present contract prices of $2.50 per acre for prairie breaking, this would cost 

 $02.50, while by the above estimate it is seen that Fawkes's ploughs for 64} 

 cents per acre. 



Your Committee, in view of the result of their experiments, unanimously 

 recommend that the First Prize of three thousand dollars be awarded to 

 Joseph W. Fawkes, of Christiana, Lancaster Co., Pa., for his Steam Plough. 

 All of which is respectfully submitted. 



ISAAC A. HEDGES, Cincinnati. 

 P. W. GATES, Chicago. 

 A. B. LATTA, Cincinnati. 



VAN DOREN AND GLOVER'S REAPING AND PLOUGHING MACHINES. 



At the Illinois State Agricultural Fair, September, 1859, a combined reap- 

 ing and ploughing machine was exhibited by Messrs. Van Doren and Glover, 

 the construction of which is thus described by a correspondent of the New 

 York Tribune. 



A bed-frame of timber, 16 feet in length, is supported on the axle of two 

 wooden iron-faced driving-wheels of 4 feet 2 inches diameter, and 8 inches 



