80 [Assembly 



which cold fingers and caps are particularly annoying,) are here 

 dispensed with. The hammer is carried resting upon the cone 

 with perfect safety, and the celerity of firing is greatly increased. 

 No pieces of metal are thrown off, or other annoyances, which re- 

 sult from the use of the percussion cap. The charges are sepa- 

 rated from each other by incombustible matter, so that no ex- 

 plosion of several can result from firing one. The lock for 

 using this priming may be adapted to any kind of military or 

 sporting guns, or to cannon. 



Such are the claims of this newly invented lock and method of 

 priming. From the examinations we have had, together with 

 the report of our judges, we feel safe in endorsing them as valid. 

 It received the gold medal of the Institute. . C. 



HAT, MADE OF PINE LEAVES. 



Miss J. H. Hudson, of Franklinville, Long Island, presented 

 at the last Fair a Hat made of the long leaves of our Southern 

 Pine. This is to us the first intimation of any practical purpose 

 to which this product, so abundant at the soutli, may be applied. 

 There are some thousands of the femaks of our country who 

 find partial employment in manufacturing hats from the palm 

 IftSf. The leaves of the pine may be wrought into hats of a bet- 

 ter quality, as to appearance an*! durability, and they may be 

 bleached, we are told, to any degree of whiteness. Put together 

 after the fashion of the Leghorn hat, we cannot conceive a more: 

 acceptable covering for the head, for summer w^ear, than these 

 leaves are capable of thus producing. This we hope may con- 

 stitute another branch of domestic industry, both in fabric and 

 material. A. C. 



MACHINERY AT THE LATE FAIR. 

 The Board of Managers feel impelled to return their most sin- 

 cere thanks to the gentlemen who served on the various commit- 

 tees, as judges at the late Fair. Impartial decisions from com- 

 petent men, are of the very highest importance in promoting the 

 objects of the Institute. To obtain such, the Managers have 



