68 FARM MACHINERY 



more clumsy than the moldboard plow ; so where the 

 latter will do good work there is no advantage in using 

 the former. In sticky soils, however, or in very ' 



ground, where it is impossible to use the moldboard plow, 

 the disk will often be found to do good work, and in the 

 latter case with much less draft. The moldboard plow 

 is recomrriended by the manufacturers of both plows 

 where it will do ^ood work.^ 



Disk plows have been made in the walking style within 

 the past few years, but have proved rather unsatisfactory. 

 A few of this style are suitable for hillside and irriga- 

 tion plows, being made reversible. 



101. The steam plow. Where steam power is used for 

 other purposes, or where farming is carried on exten- 

 sively, steam may be used at a saving over horse power 

 in plowing. This has been attempted for many years, but 

 it has only recently become very successful, and even 

 now the steam plow is used only on large farms and on 

 level land. If the soil is noJLfirm, the great weight causes 

 the traction wheels of the engine to sink into the ground 

 until the plow cannot be pulled. 



The modern steam plow, direct connected, Steered from 

 V*Ehe rear, and^iavm<y a steam lift, is a very successful 

 machine. Its advantages are its capacity and unlimited 

 power for deep plowing. The cost of plowing with a 

 steam plow varies with the cost of fuel and other condi- 

 tions, but it should be from 75 cents to $1.50 an acre. 

 Outfits capable of plowing and at the same time pre- 

 paring the seed bed and seeding 40 to 50 acres in a day 

 are now in use. 



A type of steam plow which has been successful in 

 Europe is operated by^ a system of cables?. The plow is 

 drawn back and forth across the field by means of the 

 cable, the engine being placed at one end of the field. 



