No. 200.] 197 



than any other work yet published. One of these reports has been 

 republished by the State of Kentucky. 



In addition to the regular premiums offered for silk goods, one of 

 our members has presented us $1,000, to be awarded in premiums 

 for silks. 



The necessity of a school for the arts of design, as applied to the 

 mechanic arts, has long been felt in this country. In France the arts 

 of design form a part of the common school education, and in conse- 

 quence, the whole world is put under contribution for French pat- 

 terns. The quality of our woods is better, and our workmanship 

 equally good with the French, but the superiority of their designs 

 enables them to sell French furniture in our markets at doable the 

 prices of our own. They send us a new pattern of calico at 75 cents 

 per yard, which we imitate in a few weeks at 12^ cents per yard ; 

 but in these few weeks our market is supplied at a profit to the 

 French manufacturer of many times the whole cost, and simply for 

 the want of a school for the arts of design. Such a school we have 

 organized for this winter, and many of our first artists have volun- 

 teered their services as teachers. The National Academy of Design 

 will doubless lend us their valuable aid in so laudable an undertaking, 

 and the results can not but prove beneficial to our mechanical inte- 

 rests. 



Owx rooms in the Park are daily visited by our citizens in search 

 of mechanical and other information, and from these rooms being 

 used as the place of meeting for engineers, agriculturists and others, 

 applicants are seldom disappointed in obtaining the information de- 

 sired. 



We often receive letters of thanks from mechanics acknowledging 

 the benefits received from our institution, and not unfrequently attri- 

 buting- their success in business to our fostering aid. 



The printed reports emanating from the Repository are generally 

 of a useful character, and furnish matter for periodicals and newspa- 

 pers of a valuable kind. These reports are printed in liberal quanti- 

 ties, and much information is thus disseminated. 



The Shipwreck Society had its birth in the American Institute, and 

 our rooms are still used for its meetings. This society has published 



