No. 112.] 617 



The committee would remark that the society is indebted to 

 Rev. E. H. Newton, for the above interesting article upon the po- 

 tato. 



ASA FITCH, 

 DANIEL McNEIL, 

 JOHN T. MASTERS, 



Committee. 



Report of Trial of Implements at Geneva. 



To John M. Stevenson, Esq., PresH Wash. Co. Jig. Soc. 



Sir: Holding by your favor an appointment as the society's de- 

 legate to the trial of agricultural implements at Geneva, in July 

 last, I have the pleasure lo present the following 



Report : 

 A peculiar feature of the present day is the effort of inventive 

 genius to apply the known principles of mechanical philosophy, 

 as a substitute for muscular power, thus facilitating the labors and 

 relieving the toil of man. Most men of my age can well remem- 

 ber the wooden structure which preceded the introduction of the 

 cast-iron plow among us, and an ungainly thing it was, liable to 

 have its woiking properties damaged every time it went to the 

 smith, and which, if worked to the depth common at this day, 

 with a single team, would have murdered them. Scythes, rakes, 

 hoes, hay and manure forks, together with carriages and harness, 

 have all been greatly imjtroved in liglituess and adapteduess to 

 their respective uses, as well as in durability. We well remember 

 ;When the double whilUetree superceded hooks in drawing a sleigh, 

 and when horse-rakes, traverse sleighs, and even the now indis- 

 pensable one-horse wagons were uidcnown. Tlie impiovenicnts 

 of our time have been of progressive gmwth. Inventions seldom 

 come perfect from either the head or tlic hand of the inventor, 

 but are gia'lually improved as experience points out their defects, 

 until they meet all reasonable requirements. The facilities alford- 

 ed by our laws for securing inventor's rights, Iiave greatly encour- 

 aged the inventive turn of our people, and have tended to multi- 



