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about which I am less sanguine. It is the supply of fuel , and es- 

 pecially water , to make steam. Such supply is clearly practicable, 

 but can the expense of it be borne? Steamboats live upon the water, 

 and find their fuel at stated places. Steam mills, and other sta- 

 tionary steam machinery, have their stationary supplies of fuel and 

 water. Railroad locomotives have their regular v;ood and water sta- 

 tions. But the steam plow is less fortunate. It does not live upon 

 the water; and if it be once at a water station, it will work away 

 from it, and when it gets away cannot return, without leaving its 

 work, at a great expense of its time and strength. It will occur that 

 a wagon and horse team might be employed to supply it with fuel and 

 water; but this, too, is expensive; and the question recurs, "can the 

 expense be borne?" When this is added to all other expenses, will 

 not plowing cost more than in the old way? 



It is to be hoped that the steam plov/ will be finally successful, 

 and if it shall be, " thoroug h cultivation " — putting the soil to the 

 top of its capacity — producing the largest crop possible from a given 

 quantity of ground — will be most favorable for it. Doing a large 

 amount of work upon a small quantity of ground it will be, as nearly 

 as possible, stationary while working, and as free as possible from 

 locomotion; thus expending its strength as much as possible upon its 

 work, and as little as possible in traveling. Our thanks, and some- 

 thing more substantial than thanks, are due to every man engaged in 

 the effort to produce a successful steam plow. Even the unsuccessful 

 will bring something to light which in the hands of others will con- 

 tribute to the final success. I have not pointed out difficulties, 

 in order to discourage, but in order that, being seen, they may be 

 the more readily overcome. 



The world is agreed that labor is the source from which human wants 

 are mainly supplied. There is no dispute upon this point. From this 

 point, however, men immediately diverge. Much disputation is main- 

 tained as to the best way of applying and controlling the labor 

 element. By some it is assumed that labor is available only in con- 

 nection with capital — that nobody labors, unless somebody else owning 

 capital, somehow, by the use of it, induces him to do it. Having as- 

 sumed this, they proceed to consider whether it is best that capital 

 shall hire laborers, and thus induce them to work by their own consent, 

 or buy them, and drive them to it, without their consent. Having 

 proceeded so far, they naturally conclude that all laborers are nat- 

 urally either hired laborers or slaves . They further assume that 

 whoever is once a hired laborer, is fatally fixed in that condition 

 for life; and thence again, that his condition is as bad as, or worse, 

 than that of a slave. This is the "mud- sill " theory. But another 

 class of reasoners hold the opinion that there is no such relation 

 between capital and labor, as assumed; and that there is no such thing 



