328 
THE CULTIVATOR 
Oct. 
Finch's Empire A 3.—-This plow has but little 
pulverizing action, and leaves the furrow slice heavy ; 
but runs squarely and steadily. 
Gilbert’s New Jersey Plow. —Was worked with¬ 
out a wheel, and was deficient in apparatus for accu¬ 
rate adjustment, and its furrows were cut unequally 
as to depth and width. It requires too much power,** 
when running seven inches deep, to become a favor¬ 
ite with our farmers. 
Starbuck & Co.’s Trojan No. 5.—This is a val¬ 
uable plow, and will undoubtedly be a favorite with 
many farmers; it lays its furrows smoothly and 
evenly, but does not pulverize the soil or bury the 
grass as well as the standard of good plowing re¬ 
quires. This plow, like many others which were 
exhibited, took too wide a furrow in proportion to 
its depth. We deem the growing tendency amongst 
plow makers to adapt their implements to a wide 
furrow-slice, as an evil sign of the times, fraught 
with the worst results to the cause of agriculture. 
No fault is attributable to the makers for this; they 
only comply with the demands of their customers, 
but we think it high time that an earnest effort was 
made to disabuse the minds of Farmers of this error, 
as it is one which must necessarily diminish the re¬ 
turns of their labor. Like all the plows made by 
these gentlemen, it is of easy draft. Messrs. Star- 
buck’s plows were all held by Mr. Smith, who 
exhibited admirable skill as a plownan, and brought 
out their good qualities in-the amplest manner. 
Scott’s Ohio Plow.— The proprietor of this plow 
stated that it was not prepared for working, and 
requested no remarks in regard to it. 
Proxjty & Mears’ Centre Draft No. 5^.—Made 
good work, but takes too wide a furrow to do the 
required work on this soil in the best manner. 
Prouty & Mears’ Centre Draft No. 30.--The 
general form of this plow is similar to that of the 
“5|,” except that it is calculated to do deeper work 
in proportion to the width, which is a great advan¬ 
tage for stiff soils. Lightness and friability are the 
main objects to be attained on such soils. They 
should be plowed fine and well pulverized, not only 
for the purpose of making a suitable seed-bed, but 
in order that the action of the air may develope and 
render soluble the latent vegetable food which they 
contain. The operation of this plow was highly 
satisfactory in these respects. The furrow-slice was 
cut with great uniformity, (as per table,) and it 
was left beautifully open and light, while the grass 
was so completely covered as to prevent its growth. 
This was particularly observed by the judges, who 
visited the field five days after the work had been 
done, (during which interval there had been a fall 
of rain.) in order to compare the condition of the 
land plowed by the different implements. The lot 
plowed by this plow, lay considerably on what had 
formerly been the track of a road, which made that 
part of the soil, especially towards the bottom of 
the furrow, very hard, and increased the draft; yet 
the implement held its depth well throughout. The 
attachment of the draft-rod to that part of the beam 
nearest the centre of the plow’s weight, is thought 
to have a favorable effect in keeping it to its depth 
and giving steadiness of motion. 
Bosworth. Rich & Co.’s Iron Beam E D. —This 
plow required less power than any other on the 
ground, but it was deficient in pulverizing action, 
and covered the grass imperfectly; and the sod re¬ 
quired the foot of the plowman to assist, in its inver¬ 
sion. 
W. U. Chase’s Amsterdam Plow, No. 2. —-A 
good, substantial, and cheap implement. Sufficient 
pains had not been taken in its adjustment before 
trial, and the plowman not being accustomed to its 
use, all its good qualities were not made apparent. 
Randerson’s Schodac Plow.' —The remarks on 
this plow, under “old land” plo wing, will apply in 
this connection. It is proper to state, also, that it 
did not, generally, work to the depth required. In 
this instance, twelve furrows were plowed before 
the dynamometer was put on, the average depth of 
which was not over six inches; and when the imple¬ 
ment was put down to seven inches, for the purpose 
of testing the draft by the dynamometer, the fur¬ 
rows plowed showed very conspicuously above the 
rest of the land. The great difference in the power 
required to plow six inches, and that required for 
seven inches, will account, in a considerable degree, 
for the ease and expedition with which Mr. Rander¬ 
son’s horses moved. 
Starbuck & Co.’s Iron Beam. —'Similar to the 
“Trojan” No. 5, but does not work quite as evenly 
and smoothly as that. 
A. Fleck’s Wilkie’s Scotch Plow. —This plow 
operated with great regularity, cutting its fur¬ 
rows seven inches by ten, with uniformity and 
precision, leaving the edges or corners high, and 
exposing to the air a large proportion of the slice. 
At the time of the examination of the field by the 
committee, the lot plowed with this plow was found 
to be in a much drier and lighter condition than 
most of the lots, and at a subsequent examination it 
was noticed that but little grass had grown between 
the furrows,—a result which was owing to the fur¬ 
row-slice having been left in so friable a state that 
the ridges had crumbled down and closed the inter¬ 
stices. The bottom of the furrows, though cut 
more squarely here than on old land, (a different, 
share having been used) was still liable to the same 
objection as mentioned in that case. The plowman, 
Mathew Hutchinson, is a very superior workman, 
possessing all the qualities which make the true 
plowman, and we should neglect a most pleasing 
duty, were we to fail in unanimously awarding him 
the praise which his work so richly merits. 
Starbuck’s Trojan, No. 3. -—Makes good work, 
and buries the vegetable matter better than any 
other plow by these makers. 
E. J. Burrall’s Shell Wheel Plow. —Is substanti¬ 
ally made, but is deficient in pulverization and in bu¬ 
rying sod. The committee examined the various 
lands with great care on the completion of the trials. 
Five days afterwards they examined them again, 
and three weeks subsequently a part of the commit¬ 
tee examined the work, and the opinions above given 
are the result of their combined inspections. 
Sandy Sod Soils. —Our next trials were in a 
sandy sod soil, situated on tbe Island, north of the 
rail road depot. The soil was an alluvial sand, 
with a very tough sward, which had not been dis¬ 
turbed for twenty years, and which had been used 
for pasturage during that period. The lands were 
of the same length and breadth as those on the “stiff 
sod” trials. The following table indicates the draft 
of each plow: 
Names of Competitors. 
Name of Plow. 
Draft. 
Finch, 
Small Empire, 
490 
Miner & Horton, 
Peekskill, No. 21, 
380 
Miner & Horton, 
Peekskill, No. 20, 
370 
W. U. Chase, 
Amsterdam, No. 2, 
350 
French & Smith, 
Michigan Joint, 
440 
French & Smith, 
Michigan sod and sub-soil, 
450 
Starbuck Sc Co., 
Iron beam, 
SCO 
Wm. TJ. Chase, 
Amsterdam. No. 6, 
395 
Bosworth, Rich 8c Co., 
1 ), 
Trojan, No. 5, 
Large Empire, 
410 
Starbuck & Co., 
350 
Finch, 
430 
Randerson, 
Schodac, 
Albany, 
340 
H. L. Emery, 
420 
