AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 649 



reached anything like that perfection which would warrant their 

 coming into common use. 



At a meeting of the London Farmers' Club, in May, 1855, 

 every attention and encouragement was tendered to any man 

 who would perfect such a possibility. 



In 1857, Mr. Boy dell exhibited an eight horse power engine, 

 that weighed, including water, nine tons, with which he could 

 cross the roughest land; go up steep inclined planes; move 

 immense weights; overcome great resistances, in the most astonish- 

 ing manner. He steered it by means of a tiller and steering 

 wheel, like those of a vessel. This machine accomplished the 

 whole work itself. In plowing side hills, the machine goes up 

 light and works downwards, by which means, considerable in- 

 clines may be operated upon with facility. It drew ten plows, 

 in light land, six inches deep, with a speed of two miles per 

 hour. In an attempt, with the dynamometer attached to Biddel's 

 cultivator, the instrument broke at forty hundred weight. 



The next steam plowing machine is Fowler's, for which he 

 received the gold medal, at the Paris agricultural exhibition. It 

 moves eight plows, and plows eight acres in a day of ten hours. 



A Mr. Smith, of Little Woolstone, has invented a plow which 

 he works with a common seven horse power, portable engine, 

 and a stationary windlass. Two three-quarter inch ropes lead 

 from the drums on the windlass round four pulleys, anchored by 

 means of large toothed anchors; two of which are fixed, and 

 two shipj:)ed as the plowing proceeds. 



Mr. Fisher read an article from an English work called : 

 Sewell on Steam and Locomotion. 



The first trial of the steam plow was made in 1836, in Scotland. 

 In 1831 it was spoken of in parliament, and Lord Derby, with 

 great zeal, attempted to advance the project. Lord Willoughby 

 paid much attention to the subject, and made many improvements 

 in the steam plow. Mr. Fisher then introduced to the Club Mr. 

 Thomas Dyack, who had recently invented a steam plow on a 

 new plan. 



Mr. Dyack exhibited his plan, saying that it is an acknowledged 

 fact that steam plowing was a much better system than the old 



