408 Transactions of the American Institute. 



mead's conical plow. 



Mr. Solomon Mead, New Haven, Conn., brought before the Qub 

 a full-sized specimen of his patent conical plow. He claims that a 

 curve of the mould board that will fit the outside of the frustrum 

 of a cone is the best shape for a plow. This form he insists is 

 superior to all others in four respects: 1. It gives a thin entering 

 wedge at the toe, and thus separates with greater ease the earth in 

 the furrow from that below. 2. The changes in the curve of the 

 mould board are such that the earth, when not green sward, crum- 

 bles and falls light, not being turned over without loosening, as by 

 the action of some plows. 3. In plowing green sward this form 

 turns the sod entirely over, not requiring the tread of the plowman 

 to make the turf lie down. 4. All parts of the plow are constantly 

 scoured, and thus kept bright and smooth. 



Mr. E. Williams. — There is no way to judge of this plow but to 

 try it in the field. 



mabbett's fruit basket. 



Mr. Truman Mabbet, Vineland, N. J., brought in a new style of 

 fruit basket, which was received with satisfaction, as possessing 

 points of superiority not common to baskets now in use. The baskets 

 are made without nails or pins. They cannot be taken apart without 

 some of the pieces are broken. The basket is in the form of a half 

 cylinder or bread tray, made of a very thin piece of wood, with 

 the ends secured in a circular dove-tailed groove. The ends are 

 square, and both ends and sides arc perforated with numerous holes, 

 for the pm-pose of more perfect ventilation. The boxes or baskets 

 are so arranged in crates that the berries cannot fall out if the crates 

 are turned over and over. 



LIGHTNING MEAT CUTTER. 



Mr. R. C. Browning, No. 32 Cortlandt street, was introduced to 

 ehow his " Lightning Meat Chopper," consisting of a revolving tub, 

 which holds the sausage meat or mince meat to be chopped — one 

 knife wheels on a crank. The knife is secured to the end of a small 

 pitman, which is made to move up and down, and in a horizontal 

 directioH at the same time, by means of a set of gear wheels. At 

 every stroke of the knife the tub is made to rotate or move around 

 a short distance. By this means the knife cuts down through the 

 mince meat in a new place at every stroke, thus reducing coarse 

 pieces to jfine " mince meat," with astonishing rapidity. 



