THE "TOWERS" IIIAT BE. 197 



is it even desirable. The plow, the harrows, the 

 scuffler, and the horse-shoe, are but processes ren- 

 dered necessary by the only possible mode of ap- 

 plying horse-power to the turning and breaking of 

 the soil. 



''Mechanical power is totally different : and has 

 no more business to be applied to the plow, than a 

 horse to a spade. When horses have been taught to 

 dig, the steam-engine may perhaps be taught to 

 plow : but nothing will be gained by either ; because 

 it is NOT THEIR MODE OF ACTION, respectively. The 

 laws of Matter and of Motion are imperative ; and 

 pay no service to the dull-eyed prejudice of man. 

 Mechanical power has many modes of action ; but 

 whether wind, or water, or steam, be the driving 

 agent, the favorite motion is the vertically -circular. 

 The horizontal water-wheel is good, but extrava- 

 gant, and of limited application ; but it is worth 

 mentioning as a singular exception. Where steam 

 is employed, vertical-circular action is almost uni- 

 versal. Instance the steam-paddle, the screw-pro- 

 peller, the common fly-wheel, the locomotive, the 

 circular saw, the drum of the thrashing-machine, 

 the steam pump, and many others that will occur to 

 the recollection of the engineer. When we plow 

 the sea by steam, we do it with the circular blades 



