APPENDIX. 41 



made in the formation of turnpikes, and of these it is in our 

 power to avail ourselves. Some publications have reached 

 this country in the course of the last and present year, which 

 show in part what has been done. The means of keeping the 

 roads in repair; the prevention of the injuries to them, by regu- 

 lating the weights of the carriages to the breadth of the wheels, 

 (an essential point), and the most easily managed and economical 

 weighing machine to prevent deception, and to be stationed at 

 certain toll gates should of course demand a portion of attention. 



The introduction of useful implements of agriculture; of la- 

 bour saving machinery; of useful arts, and ingenious mechanics 

 from Europe, would be an important part of the duty of the 

 new officer. We every year hear of new and useful implementi 

 in husbandry, or of improvements in those already in use, which 

 would be highly beneficial if introduced into the United States; 

 but from the total want of intercourse between the cultivators of 

 the soil in the United States and those in Europe, the improve- 

 ments of either country remain where they were made. Indeed, 

 were the existence of such foreign improvements or inventions 

 known to our farmers, the difficulty and expense of procuring 

 them, would constitute an insurmountable obstacle to their intro- 

 duction. But if once introduced, and if models were sent to the 

 different agricultural societies in the United States, they would 

 be speedily brought into use, and would tend greatly to abridge 

 the labour of the farmer. Several useful machines and imple- 

 ments could be mentioned, to which allusion is made. Among 

 those of primary importance in the arts, I may mention the im- 

 proved steam engine; the Nottingham loom, that weaves 24 pairs 

 of stockings at a time; the impioved mode of making white-lead, 

 which renders unnecessary the health-destroying process hi- 

 therto in use; and the machinery of Mr. Lee, for preparing flax 

 and hemp. 



The improvements in the steam engine recently made in Eng- 

 land, tend greatly to increase its power, and to economise fuel, 

 the consumption of which, upon the plan formerly in u§e, wai so 



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