1837] 



FARMERS' REGISTER. 



603 



vain, that they consider it as a hopeless object. I 

 did not tell them that ail hitherto done has been 

 absolute lolly ; and that the riyht way to be^nn, 

 was to undo every thintj done. I am never pre- 

 sent at anv sorieiiesofafrrirAilture, either ni France 

 or En^rland, but I am much in doubt with myself 

 whether, when best conducted, they do most 

 good or miscliief; that is, whether the benefits a 

 national agriculture may by great chance owe to 

 them, are not more than counterbalanced by the 

 liurni they effect; by turning ihe public attention 

 to frivolous objects, instead of important ones, or 

 dressing important ones in such a garb as to make 

 them trifles. The only society that could be really 

 useful would be that which, in the culture of a larire 

 fitrm, should exhibit a perli^ct example oi' good 

 husbandry, lor the use of such as would resort to 

 it; consequent!}' one that should consist solely of 

 practical men ; and then query whether many 

 good cooks would not spoil a good dish. 



# # # * # 



* * * At noon, to the society of a<rriculture 

 (called the Patriotic Society), which fortunately 

 for me, who am a member, had a meeting to-day: 

 the iMarchese di Visconti in the chair, wiih ten or 

 aiiozen members present, to all of whom Sijrnore 

 Amoretti introduced me. I never expect much 

 from societies of this sort ; but this of Milan was 

 to-day employed on a button and a pair of scis- 

 sors : it seetns they want at this city to make tiie 

 finer sorts of hardware, in order to rival those of 

 England, and lessen the in)port, which, in spite 

 ot every obsiaole, is very great : the idea origi- 

 nates with the govertmient, and is worthy of its 

 little ideas; a true peddling spirit at present 

 throiiirhout Europe. An artist in the town had 

 made a button and half a pair of scissors, one 

 half English and tlie other half of his own man- 

 uliicture, for which he claimed and hail a reward. 

 Similar are the eniploymenls of societies every 

 where! In Enirland, busied about rhubarb, silk, 

 and drill-ploufflis: at Paris, wiih fle<is and butter- 

 flies; and at Milan, with buttons and scissors! I 

 hope I shall find the Georgofili, at Florence, em- 

 ployed on a top-knot. I looked about to see a 

 practical farmer enter the room, but looked in vain. 

 A goodl}' company of i Marchesi, i Conti, i 

 Cavalieri, i Abati, but not one close clipped wig, 

 or a dirty pair of breeches, to give autiiority to 

 their proceedings. 



From tlie Journal of the Fraulilin Institute. 



Davenport's ELECTRO-]VIAG^"ETIO machine. 



[The following remarks by the editor of the 'Jour- 

 nal of the Franklin Institute,' are appended to the spe- 

 cification of the patent, in the last number of that pub- 

 lication. It is gratifying to know that so favorable an 

 opinion is entertained of this discovery, by so compe- 

 tent a judge. — Ed. Far. Reg.] 



The subject of the foregoing specification is one 

 of great interest, and it has arrested a corres- 

 ponding portion of public attention; we are 

 likely soon, therefore, to have the question solved, 

 whether this new power can be advanlaL'eonsly 

 applied to the propelling of machinery as a sub- 

 stitute for the steam ensine. Most of our readers 

 it is presumed, have seen Professor Silliman's no- 

 lice of Mr. Davenport's machine, published in 

 the Journal of Science, in April last, which con- 



tains much information respecting the attempts 

 which had been made tor the producing of mo- 

 lion by electro-magnetic apparatus. Mnce that 

 [)eriod, advice has been received from Europe, 

 showing that experiments upon this subject are in 

 progress under the direction of some of the most 

 distinguished philosophers in various portions of 

 that quarter of the globe. 



We do not know by whom, or at what date, the 

 first successful experiment of producing a direct 

 rotary motion, by the electro-magnetic apparatus, 

 upon a principle analogous to that upon which 

 Mr. Davenport has proceeded, was performed. 

 As early, however, as June, 1833, an article ap- 

 peared in the London Mechanics' Magazine, pro- 

 posing such an apparatus, and giving a figure of 

 one which, it was supposed, would answer the 

 purpose; a supposition which was, undoubtedly, 

 well founded. Not long after this, Mr. Saxton, 

 v/e believe, produced a rotative machine by elec- 

 tro-magnetism, but we are not informed respect- 

 ing iis particular arrangements. 



The history of tiie production of the machine pa- 

 tented by Mr. Davenport, is a history of the suc- 

 cessful efibris of an individual, who to an in domi- 

 table perseverance, must have superadded, extra- 

 ordinary natural abiliiics. His business is that of a 

 blacksmith, and his advantages in point of educa- 

 tion were not greater than usually falls to the lot of 

 persons in country places, engaged in such pur- 

 suits. Accident brought to his notice, one of Pro- 

 fessor Henry's electro-magnets, which he eagerly 

 purchased, under a conviction that he could ren- 

 der it available as a n.olive power; this was in the 

 year 18.33, and in July 1834 he had so far suc- 

 ceeded as to produce a rotative machine, and this 

 he effected in ti country village, unaided by scien- 

 tifiic knowledge, by books, or by the encourage- 

 ment of men of superior attainments, or with 

 kindred spirits. Whatever may be the final re- 

 sult of his labors, his merits are of high order, 

 and he has proved himself well worthy of the 

 most splendid success. Should his machine final- 

 ly accomplish that which he and many of his 

 friends anticipate, its values will be incalculable, 

 for although he may have been superseded in Eu- 

 rope, his claim as inventor, will undoubtedly prove 

 valid in his own country, and ambition need not 

 carry him beyond it. We have twice seen his 

 machine in operation, formerly in New York, and 

 recently in Washington, where it was exhibited 

 to the President, and the Heads of Departments. 

 So far as the evidence ol a model is to be taken, 

 its perf()rmance is quite satisfactory; and Mr. Da- 

 venport is now occupied in constructing one which 

 is intended to drive a Napiei press, requiring a 

 two-horse power. This, should it succeed, will 

 be a fair test of its value, and we confess that, al- 

 though our expectations do not generally partake 

 of the sanguine in such matters, not only our 

 hopes, but we may say our confidence has increas- 

 ed as we have become acquainted with the pro- 

 gress of the experiments which are being car- 

 ried on. 



We are well aware, that should it be eventu- 

 ally proved, that an available power may be ob- 

 lained, which may be substituted for that of steam, 

 its adoption would depend entirely upon its econ- 

 omy, with respect to which we cannot have satis- 

 factory data, until a machine of several horses 

 power shall have been produced: the probability^ 



