124 MAINE STATE SOCIETY. 



The Committee regret they could not have the opportunity to 

 test these machines and report upon their particular merits. 



Several articles entered in this depai'tment did not appear. "We 

 reserve some important machines and implements, for honorable 

 mention at a subsequent day. 



Calvin Chamberlain, per order. 



Your Committee present themselves at a late day, -with little more 

 to offer for a report than an apology for so nearly an entire neglect 

 of duty. 



However we may dislike excuses and apologies for grave omissions, 

 "we feel to justify ourselves in this case by saying, that but two of 

 your committee presented themselves, and one of these at a late day. 

 For a portion of the time we were occupied in our examinations, we 

 ■were fortunate in securing tho services of an eminent gentleman, 

 whose versatile talent aided us essentially in finding the beauties and 

 the defects in the articles in our department. 



The time of the show was so far spent when we had closed our 

 examinations and agreed on the awards of your premiums, that a 

 report was deferred, with the agreement that it should be a joint 

 labor — a pledge that, we are sorry to say, has not been redeemed. 

 Now lue report in very brief, that the machines and implements in 

 this department, did not in numbers appear to meet our expectations, 

 nor equal that of former exhibitions. Some improvements of a recent 

 date were manifest, and several articles presented are certainly 

 worthy of honorable mention. We shall not attempt to review and 

 name all such ; and the exhibitors of the omitted articles are espec- 

 ially assured that no invidious spirit enters our circle. 



We are not of the number, (if there arc any such) who, patrioti- 

 cally inflated, view with a just and laudable pride the beautiful and 

 va,st results from the inventive talent of the American people in the 

 quarter of a century, only to think that the future cannot be so pro- 

 lific in scientific and practical advancement. 



Hundreds of patents have been issued of recent date for improve- 

 ments in a single agricultural implement, and at the pi'esent time in 

 its best phase it is a thing hardly to be desired. Yet we do not 

 despair of its being perfected so as to come into general use. 



Some of our most important implements must be flirther improved 

 or go out of use by the advent of more efficient substitutes. 



