Polytechnic Association Proceedings. 727 



Mr. Pepper also detailed at some length his peculiar method of 

 burning petroleum in steam boilers. He uses a reservoir of sand 

 which is saturated with oil, and upon water being fed into an outer 

 vessel, and introduced among the sand, by the sjDecific gravity of 

 the water, the oil is kept on the top. The oxygen, from the decom- 

 position of the water, materially assists the combustion, and he 

 made the assertion that he had succeeded in burning water. He 

 produced a model of his invention, and would have performed the 

 experiment, but the lateness of the hour proliibited it. 



PLOWING BY STEAM. 



Mr. Blanchard described his theory of a steam plow. He thought 

 it impracticable to draw the plows after a traction engine, and pro- 

 posed to use double plows drawn back and forth across the field 

 with a portable engine. 



Some discussion ensued relative to its practicability, and it was 

 asserted that steam plowing as at present employed, would not pay 

 in America. 



Dr. Bradley asserted that the method of plowing with horses 

 had no equal. 



Prof. Tillman remarked that steam plowing did pay, and that in 

 India more steam plows were employed than in the whole of Eng- 

 land. The plows were all drawn by stationary steam engines 

 which communicate their power by means of wire ropes. 



Mr. Reid declared that the American farmer needed. i plow which 

 would be drawn in rear of the motor. The packing of the ground, 

 if that was an objection, could be obviated by a proper cylinder, 

 and he then explained a method of overcomi^ig obstructions where 

 such a cylinder was used. By means of a gear attached to an arm 

 and working in a circular rack upon the interior periphery of this 

 advancing drum, an obstruction wh/ch would prevent the drum 

 from advancing, would enable thi? gear to travel up the toothed 

 rack, and the weight of the gear and its attachments would, when 

 it had traveled a sufficient height, materially tend to the forward 

 rotation of the cylinder. 



Dr. Parmelee suggested that during the ensuing week, the Chair- 

 man appoint a committee of five, who should confer together for 

 the purpose of devising the best method for testing the power and 

 efficiency of steam engines. After some discussion it was voted 

 that such a programme be carried out. 



