ANNUAL ADDRESS. 293 
and turning the soil, and the smallest, to the moving itself over 
the field, will bo the best one. A very small stationary engine 
would draw a large gang of plows through the ground from a 
short distance to itself; but when it is not stationary, but has 
to move along like a horse, dragging the plows afterit, it must 
have additional power to carry itself; and the difficulty grows 
by what is intended to overcome it; for what adds power also 
adds size, and weight to the machine, thus increasing again, 
the demand for power. Suppose you should construct the ma¬ 
chine so as to cut a succession of short furrows, say a rod in 
length, transversely to the course the machine is locomoting, 
something like the shuttle in weaving. In such case the whole 
machine would move north only the width of a furrow, while in 
length the furrow would be a rod from east to west. In such 
case, a very large proportion of the power, would be applied to 
the actual plowing. But in this, too, there would be difficulty, 
which would be the getting of the plow into , and out of, the 
ground, at the end of all these short furrows. 
I believe, however, ingenious men will, if they have not 
already, overcome the difficulty I have suggested. (But there 
is still another, about which I am less sanguine ,) It is the sup¬ 
ply of fuel, and especially ivater, to make steam. Such sup¬ 
ply is clearly practicable, but can the expense of it be borne ? 
Steamboats live upon the water, and find their fuel at stated 
places. Steam mills, and other stationary steam machinery, 
have their stationary supplies of fuel and water. Railroad loco¬ 
motives have their regular wood and water stations. But the 
steam plow is less fortunate. It does not live upon the water ; 
and if it be once at a water station, it will work away from it, 
and when it gets away cannot return, without leaving its w r ork, 
r 
at a great expense of its time and strength. It will occur that 
a wagon and horse team might be employed to supply it with 
fuel and water ; but this, too, is expensive ; and the question 
recurs, “ can the expense be borne ? When this is added to 
all other expenses, will not plowing cost more than in the old 
way ? 
i 
