1881 .] 
AMERICAN AGrRIC (JLTTJRIST. 
405 
the many millions of spores are kept from 
being spread and continuing the pest. With 
the smaller grains, as wheat and oats, this 
method, though it is the most effective, would 
probably be impracticable. Though the rem¬ 
edy is not easy of application, it is a step 
forward in the work, to know the exact 
nature of the trouble, and about this there is 
now no doubt. Smut is a small parasitic 
plant preying upon those of a higher order. 
Sulky Plows.—Their Kinds. 
If a bright boy brought up on a farm in 
New England, or other of the older States, 
were to visit one of the large western fairs, 
he would be greatly puzzled by some of the 
implements on exhibition. The Sulky Culti¬ 
vators would strike him as novel and wonder¬ 
ful, but when he came to the Sulky Plows we 
can imagine his astonishment. As he recol¬ 
lects the many hard day’s work at plowing 
in a rocky field, or the unpleasant results 
that have followed the catching of the plow 
against a root, he may well wonder if such a 
plow were intended for real use. Certainly 
not for use in such fields as he has plowed, 
but admirably adapted to those fields that have 
neither rock nor stump. These riding cul¬ 
tivators, plows, etc., have been called “lazy 
men’s implements.” We have always insisted 
that the most valuable crop of the farm was 
the men and women raised upon it. Hence 
any contrivance that will save these men and 
women any unnecessary labor is of import¬ 
ance. There is no reason why a woman 
should expend her strength in churning, if a 
dog-power, or other contrivance can be made 
to do the work. If the plowing, the cultivat¬ 
ing, or the harrowing can be done as well 
while the man rides, by all means let him 
ride and save his strength for other work. It 
is no indication of laziness to do the work 
with the least possible outlay, whether of 
horse-power or man-power. As one travels 
from East to West, and from North to South, 
it is most interesting to notice the manner in 
Fig. 1. —THE “ CASADAY ” SULKY PLOW. 
which inventors have adapted the farm im¬ 
plements to meet the wants of the different 
localities. A marked illustration of this is 
the Sulky Plow, useful only in the free soils 
of certain western localities. There are sev¬ 
eral styles of these plows, differing in details, 
but all agreeing in having the plow-beam fur¬ 
nished with wheels, with a seat for the driver, 
while the form and manner of attachment of 
the plow and coulter, and the control of the 
working are peculiar to each different style. 
Those who have studied the mechanics of 
plowing, find that a large share of the power 
of the team, some say one-third, is exerted 
in overcoming the friction of the plow on the 
bottom and sides of the furrow ; by support¬ 
ing the plow upon wheels this friction is 
largely removed, the weight of the plow being 
mainly supported by the wheels. The force re¬ 
quired tp cut the furrow slice is, with ordinary 
plows, estimated at one-half of the draught. 
In the sulky plows, great care is taken to use 
sharp-edged coulters of the most serviceable 
form. In giving illustrations of the leading 
sulky plows, we place them alphabetically, 
thus showing no preference. The makers of 
the various plows furnish copiously illustrated 
catalogues, describing their implements in 
full. To an Eastern fanner, the literature of 
this peculiarly western method of plowing, 
could he see it brought together, would be a 
matter of wonderment. Ample pamphlets 
in which two plows are attached to a strong 
iron frame. That shown in the engraving is 
called the “ Garden City,” made of cast-steel 
and is a form in special favor in Texas and 
other Southern States. The makers attach to 
this frame a plow especially adapted to work 
in the “Tule’ 7 lands of the Pacific coast. 
Messrs. F. & B. claim much for a friction attach¬ 
ment, by means of which the plow is lifted 
out of the ground by the power of the team. 
The “ Gilpin ” Sulky Plow (fig. 3), is made 
by the widely known firm of Deere & Co., 
Moline, Ill. Their descriptive pamphlet is a 
most interesting one, as it describes the vari¬ 
ous devices resorted to in the making of the 
Fig. 2. —the “garden city” sulky plow. 
are filled with beautifully executed engravings 
to show the plows at work under various con¬ 
ditions, while representations are given of 
every part, down to the smallest screw. In 
the instructions for setting up the plows, 
when received, and the provision for supply¬ 
ing broken or wom-out parts, nothing seems 
to have been overlooked. In examining the en¬ 
gravings of the different plows, it will be seen 
that they have general features in common ; 
of these is the rolling or wheel coulter, an 
attachment that has met with much favor 
upon some walking plows. This coulter is a 
disk of steel or of chilled iron, capable of be¬ 
ing made very sharp, and in soils free from 
stones, cuts through the turf with 
far less expenditure of power than 
the common coulter. Yet as simple 
as this appears to be, some of the 
makers claim to have so improved 
the hanging, etc., as to make this 
an important feature in their par¬ 
ticular plow. Of course, we can 
not give the various points in which 
each maker claims that his plow is 
superior to all others. For these, 
those interested may refer to the 
catalogues, where they will find 
that none are overlooked. 
Figure 1 shows the “Casaday” 
Sulky Plow, made at South Bend, 
Ind. It differs in its general ap¬ 
pearance from the others, in having 
the off wheel of the sulky inclined 
at an angle of about 30 degrees. 
The advantages claimed for this, as 
well as for other points peculiar to its struc¬ 
ture, are concisely given in the catalogue. 
The next in alphabetical sequence is the 
“Furst & Bradley” Sulky Plow (fig. 2), made 
at Chicago, Ill. Several modifications of this 
are furnished, one of them a “ Gang Plow,” 
implements in order to secure the requisite 
strength; for, as they justly say, “a sulky 
plow sustains a greater strain and does harder 
work than any other farm machine.” As the 
use of three horses abreast is still a novelty 
in many localities, some of the makers publish 
instructions, with diagrams, showing how to 
hitch up horses in this manner. 
The “ Grand Detour ” Sulky Plow is made 
by the Grand Detour Plow Co., Dixon, Ill. 
As only an engraving quite too large for our 
columns was at hand, we are prevented from 
illustrating this popular form of sulky plow. 
Sulky Plows present many advantages over 
the old form, but unfortunately they can only 
Fig - . 3. —THE “GILPIN” SULKY PLOW. 
be adopted in certain localities. In new coun¬ 
tries good plowmen are apt to be scarce, 
while good teamsters are usually plenty ; any 
one with sufficient skill to manage the horses 
can do as good work with a sulky plow, as an 
expert plowman following his plow on foot. 
