260 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER, 



FSB. ai, 183' 



fat, ninrli fatter than those drove into the coun- 

 try. Some of my neighhors tell me 1 sliall run 

 my pasture land nut by mnkin<; it produce so much 

 feed. 1 Bee not much d.uiger in this nnkss the 

 droppings through i\\e surniner from 15 cows in- 

 stead of 5 may obstruct the growth of gr;iss, in 

 case I have no leisure to knock it about and 

 spread it. 



JMy garden contains three acres, half of it cov- 

 ered with n nursery of trees, grape vines, &c. It 

 is surrounded by fruit and forest trees. Jly sugar 

 maples, set out eight years ajo, were tapped this 

 year and gave us several pails full of good sap, 

 which we very easily boil down to molasses. 



We have also 20 swarn!S of hees that su))ply us 

 and more than supply us with our sweetening. — 

 The keeping of these costs us an liour every day 

 or two for a month ; when I come from the field 

 and find that my women-folks have in the course 

 of the forenoon treed a swarm on some of tiie 

 cherry trees. 



My hired labor cost me last year including 

 hoard $200 ; this year a little more, as I hired he- 

 fore wages had fallen. Besides supporling my 

 family of eight inmates, and paying all expenses 

 (including of course, interest on the capital, and 

 the wear and tear of tools, &c.) I earned and laid 

 up from the proceeds of my farm and nursery be- 

 tween nine and ten huiulred dollars last year ; and 

 this, although I planted and hoed six acres of 

 corn stalks that produced nothiii:.-. 



I think I shall do quite as well this year, being 

 offered about 20 dollars per ton for 25 Ions of hay 

 to be taken at the barn. 



I have kept a very ex.ict account of my expen- 

 ses and income for two years past, and can show 

 you that trry land is growing more and more valu- 

 ble yearly, though I sell so much hay. My farm 

 will now hrirr::' one third more than it would three 

 years ago, about the time of my purxhasing it. 



If your Committee will visit me, I shall behaji- 

 py to show my improveirrents. 



Tours, very r-espeetfirlly, 



\VM. BUCKMINSTER, 



EXTRACTS FROM TIIR REPORT OF 

 COMMISSIONER OF PATENTS. 



Patknt OrrrCE, Jan. 1, 1838. 

 During the year 1837, four hundred and thirty- 

 Jive patents have been issued frorrr the Patent Of- 

 fice, of which classified and alphabetical lists are 

 annexed, marked A and B. 



The number of patijnts issued during the year 

 1837 is less than in some preceding years. 'J'his 

 is to be attrihitted chiefly to the operation of the 

 new law, which subjects all applications for pa- 

 tents to a careful examination as to the originality 

 of the invention claimed. Power is given to tire 

 Comtrrissioner to refuse a patent, if the invention 

 is not deemed sufficiently nseftti ; hut this power 

 is selrlom exercised, and is confined to cases where 

 the jialent may be in some way injurious, the im- 

 -^rovement frivoloirs, or where an attempt is made 

 '"^ avoA^ ^ P''"'' patent- 



> • '-itnrc*.'*'^ ^''^ '" December, 1836, bus oc- 



The n«~ ■ igj^ig ,-^«lay in dischargiirg thedu- 



casioned unavoi^ 



ties of the office. .„ ^^^ ^^ .^^ ,,g. 



The revenue of the oOica 



'-' ''- /rie^t ::: deT:::;: .:::::LX 



rd"o;i;l::c:ntrac;:a for. The collection already 



made is becoming interesting, and shows a great 

 improvement in their cotrstruction. 



The commissioners appointed to designate those 

 models which are the most important, aird the 

 cont[<ensation to 1)0 given for the same, have adopt- 

 ed measrties to accomplish this object. Notices 

 on this sidiject liave been published in almost all 

 the newspapers in the Uniott. 



The ] reseirt accommodations do not furnish 

 sititabh; protection to the models. Hetrce, many 

 of the best cannot be exhibited uittil siritable cases 

 are provided for them in the new building, and 

 patetrtees feel unwilling to send their models until 

 better acconrmodalioiis are furnished where the 

 same can be preserved. 



Eirch patentee (and the nirnrber exceeds ten 

 thousand) has been addressed, personally, through 

 the |iost office of the place where he resiiled when 

 the patent was issued. Many, undoubtedly, in 

 consequence of a change of residence, will fail to 

 receive the communication ; but since no patent 

 granted before the fire can be given in evidence, 

 without being first recorded anew, this restriction 

 will pr-obably secure the r-eturuof the most impor- 

 tant. Improvements offered on forrtrer patetrts 

 will, in many cases, require the furnishing of 

 models of old iuveiitions; and, in a short time, 

 the most valuable records, it is hoped, will be re- 

 stored. 



Two thousand patents have been restored and 

 recorded anew since Jamrary last. The drawings 

 of many of these have been executed by jrersons 

 in this office, in a style and manner which reflect 

 murdi credit on the skill of the draughtsmen. — 

 They form, already, a valuable collection. • 



Among the kisses occasioned by the fir-e, most 

 deeply regretted, was the destruction of all the 

 papers deposited by Robert Fulton. His draw- 

 ings were executed by his own hand, and formed 

 an interesting part of the records of American 

 genius, establishing for our cotrntry the honor of 

 the first successful and practical employment of 

 steam in navigation. This loss has been consid- 

 ered irreparable. I am happy, however, to state, 

 that correct duplicates can doubtless be procured. 

 The fame of Fulton attracted the attention of a 

 foreign Government, for whom, on application 

 therefor-, other papers deposited in this office, 

 wei-e made irnd transmitted to London, wliere, it 

 is presumed copies may be obtained to sitpply the 

 placu of the originals. Measures will immediately 

 be taken to accomplish that objeci. 



The necessity of a library of scientific works, 

 to facilitate the discharge of the duties of the of- 

 fice, needs only to be mentioned to be duly appre- 

 ciated. Under the former law, no examitration as 

 to the originality of inventions was made, and du- 

 plicates and irnilicates of the same thing were of- 

 ten patented. The public were subjected todrrily 

 impositions, and the first inventors were driven 

 into courts to maintain their rights. Now, each 

 application urrdergoes a crrreful examination ; it 

 must be compared with caveats ah'eady fried, 

 with other pending application.*, with patents is- 

 sued in this country and abroad, and also with the 

 published inventiotrs of the whole world. English, 

 French, and German books must be at the com. 

 mnnd of the office, itr oriler to make the proper 

 e.^aminalior.s. Fifteen hundred dollars were ac- 

 cordingly appropriated, in the year 1836, for 

 works, to be purchased under the sanction of a 

 commrltee. 



This aopr'opriation was designed to add to the 



existing library ; but that library, with such bool 

 as had been already purchased, was unfor'tunatel 

 consumed. It therefore became trecessary to u.> 

 the remainder of that appropriation to replac 

 books which were on hand before the fii-e, and I 

 furnish other-s which were most needed. Add 

 tional works of the kind contemplated when lb 

 appropriation was nrade, are greatly wanted, to ai 

 in considering applications for patents. Persor 

 who offer their inventions to be secured by paten 

 can hardly be satisfied that othcgps have gnri 

 before them in the same irtyentions, and notliin 

 but the inspection of models and drawings wbic 

 prove tlie fact, can ever induce them to relinquis 

 the fond expectations of months or even years. A 

 the receipts of the office will allow an annual a| 

 propriation for a library, such appropriation is n 

 speclfully recommended. 



The pr-ovisions of the late law authorizing th 

 reception of unpatented models and specimens ( 

 manufactur-es, will do much to increase the co 

 lection at the Pateirt Office. No exhibition i 

 Europe, it is believed, can surpass that which wi 

 be found, in process of time, in the building noi 

 in a course of preparation for this establishmen 

 The beautiful collections of manirfactured article 

 at the temporary fair-s of our large cities, may giv 

 a faint idea of that great gallery of ai'ts and mant 

 factures, whir h will thus be permanently opene 

 at the seat of Government, where all that is net 

 and interesting will he added from year to yeai 

 and carefully preserved. Interest and ])atriotisr 

 will combine to multiply the articles deposited.- 

 The exhibition will be continually increasing i 

 beauty and utility ; and all this, so honorable an 

 advantageous to the countr-y, will be accomplishe 

 without any other expense to the pirblic than tb 

 trifling char-ge of transportation from the place ( 

 manufacture. The Patent Office, has been greall 

 subservient to the promotion of the ar-ts arrd sc 

 ences, and its late re-organization will extend, i 

 a much higher degree, its .usefulness. Withot 

 the encouragement of the patent laws, few irrveri 

 tions would become practically iiseftrl ; by this en 

 couragenlent, a stimulus is given lo talent and io 

 genuity, and the result of human effor-ts seems al 

 most incredible. The inventions of the day haT 

 proverbially overcome time and space. The ni) 

 merous matrufactories spread over all the countf 

 attest the patronage they have received from Go* 

 ernment. 



Of late, inventors have directed their atteiitiol 

 with peculiar interest, to the improvement of lb 

 implements of agriculture ; and many labor. saviiv 

 machines have been patented, which are of tl^ 

 highest utility to the husbandman. These aj 

 rapidly increasing, and it is scarcely possible i 

 conj(!cture to what extent the labor of the agricj 

 tiirist may be diminished, and the products of tB 

 country increased, by these improvements. A 

 ready, the process of sowing, of mowing, andj| 

 reaping, is successfully performed by horse po»| 

 er ; arrd inventors are sanguine in the belief (an; 

 piofiahly not without reason,) that the time is ni. 

 far distant when ploughing machines will be dri; 

 en by steam, atui steam power applied to mat) 

 other operations of the husbandman. Implemel 

 of this kind will all be collected and exhibited 

 the Patent Office ; and, from the resort of thoi 

 atrds to the seat of Government during the sessi 

 of Congress, a knowledge of their use and pra( 

 cal application will be extended over the who! 

 country. A subject intimately connected wil 



