Review of Allen’s Mechanics. 339 
wants of American manufacturers, which enhances their price so 
much, that the information wanted from them is not conveniently 
available to most persons who need it. ‘To the above list of authors, 
may be added, “‘ Buchanan on Millwork and other Machinery,” re- 
cently republished in this country, which, though valuable so far as it 
goes, is not sufficiently comprehensive. A work was, therefore, much 
wanted, from the pen of an experienced American manufacturer, 
competent to the undertaking, who would avail himself of whatever 
is applicable from the above, and other similar publications, and en- 
rich it with his own reflexions and observations, and adapt the whole 
to the wants and circumstances of our own establishments, and to 
the capacities of those who are employed in them. 
Among the advantages of a work of this kind, may be mentioned 
the saving of expense it may occasion from abortive experiments. 
No people employed in the useful arts are so liable to engage in 
these, as the mechanics and manufacturers of this country ; and al- 
though the result has, on the whole, been highly favorable to our gen- 
eral prosperity at home, and to our reputation abroad, yet it must/be 
conceded that an immense amount of property has been squandered 
in unavailing experiments, by individuals “ possessing zeal without 
knowledge,” who were either ignorant of the theory of mechanical 
powers, or destitute of experience in the application. We have au- 
thority for saying, that of all the inventions that have been patented 
in this country, “one third only are considered as either useful, or 
directly applicable to some practical purpose ; another third of them 
are merely exhibitions of ingenuity, useful only, as displays of the in- 
ventive faculties of our countrymen, and the remaining third are use-. 
less ;”* and yet the expense of all these collectively is small, com- 
pared with what has been lavished by individuals upon useless ex- 
periments, that have never been made known to the public. 54! There. 
is probably,” as Mr. Allen justly remarks, “no mode te whickt - 
greater amount of property may be more rapidly dissipated ‘und 
wasted, except perhaps at the gaming table, than ~ the construction 
and management of mills and machinery, by those incompetent to the 
task, from a want of proper practical knowledge. ‘ 
culation is attended with costly expenditures, and loss of labor in 
manufacturing operations. At some of the American mills, which 
have been erected only a few years, various kinds of machinery, 
* Journal ef the Patent Offiee. 
