66 



Trial of the Pakvin steam-plow. — This plow, patented by R. 

 C. Parviii, works by " direct traction." It is manufactured at Farming- 

 ton, Fulton County, Illinois, and costs $4,000. A trial of it, reported 

 as entirely successful, took place under the direction of the inventor, at 

 Dixon, Solano County, Calitoruia, November 11. The ground, stiff clay, 

 or clay adobe, was a field of wheat stubble, from which the grain had 

 been harvested by heading. An eight-gang plow was first attached 

 and found not adapted to the conditions. A large three-gang plow and 

 a two-gang plow were substituted, each cutting a foot wide furrow and 

 running 5 to 6 inches deep. With forty pounds of steam it traveled off 

 and worked these plows with ease. Subsequently twelve men got upon 

 the plows and a drag was attached so that both plows and drag ran to 

 the depth of 10 to 12 inches. By applying 80 pounds of steam the en- 

 gine again had sufficient draft power to move forward and plow without 

 apparent effort. It appeared to be as easily managed in its movements 

 as a team of farm-horses. Its speed is regulated by the amount of 

 steam, and is controlled by the operator up to the rate of three miles per 

 hour. The i)roper rate is represented to be about two miles per hour. 

 Moving at this rate, never tiring, and plowing a ribbon 5 to 8 feet- wide, 

 it is easy to estimate the amount it would plow per day. To run it re- 

 quires a man and boy, and a " tender to furnish fuel and water." The 

 inventor claims that one of these steam-plows has, at a cost of 75 cents 

 per acre, "broken up the tqjighest kind of prairie meadow" in Illinois. 

 In this estimate the cost of hands was reckoned at $2,50 per day, and of 

 coal at $2.50 per ton. It is reported that so much confidence in its suc- 

 cess has been inspired that a joint-stock company is being organized in 

 Sacramento for the purpose of manufacturing these steam-plows. 



The season of rain-fall in California. — The amount of rain-fall 

 at Sacmmeuto for the last four months of 1873 was 11.529 inches ; the 

 amount for the same months iii 1871 was 12.021 inches. This was fol- 

 lowed by 11.32G inches in the first four months of 1872 ; in 1867, 16.662, 

 followed by 15.837 in 1868; in 1866, 11.938, followed by 13.359 in 1867; 

 whereas, the 7,540 inches which fell in the last four months of 1872 was 

 followed by only 6.653, in the first four of 1873 ; in 1869, 4,932, followed 

 by 8,639 in 1870 ; in 1868, 3.386, followed by 12.60!? in 1869. These facts 

 seem to furnish ground for anticipating an abundant rain-fall (and con. 

 sequently a fruitful season) in the four months following January 1, 1874, 



Pork packing in the West, — The Cincinnati Price Current gives 

 the following statement of the number of hogs packed up to January 

 22 of the present and previous season at the six principal packing points 

 of the West, together with the total operations of last season : 



To January 22, 

 1874. 



To January 22, 

 1873. 



Total for tho 

 season of 1872 

 and 1873. 



Cincinnati.. 



Chicago 



Saint Louis 

 Louisville . . 

 MilwRukee . 

 Indianapolis 



Total 



550, 000 

 1, 275, OHO 

 430, 000 

 230, 000 

 240, 000 

 235, 000 



560, noo 



9f 0, 000 

 460, 000 

 300, 000 

 175,000 

 150, 000 



626, 305 

 1, 425, 079 

 538, OOO 

 302, 246 

 303, 500 

 196, 317 



2, 960, 000 



2, 625, 000 



3, 391, 447 



The aggregate number, at the date above mentioned, is 430,000 short 

 of the operations of the previous season. On account of the scarcity 

 of hogs at some points, and of high prices and poor qualities at other 

 points the packings had nearly or quite closed. 



