AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 473 



10 pounds of coal per horse power per hour. A more important question 

 than that of economy of coal, however, is that of their duration. If they 

 are expensive for repairs and of short duration, then, indeed, they labor 

 under fatal disadvantages. We want reliable information on this head, 

 for many persons consider them very short lived and expensive, the parts 

 burning and wearing out rapidly. The norainxjl horse power, too, seems 

 to be exaggerated, and every three horse power engine may be regarded as 

 about a three man power one. Nevertheless they are useful in printing 

 offices and in places doing similar light work. 



Mr. Baker. — The cost of a caloric engine is too serious, and there seem 

 to be too many wearing parts as they are now constructed, yet there is no 

 doubt but they can be employed in many places with advantage, particu- 

 larly if they are safe and cause" less risk in insurance. There are many 

 places where a steam engine could not be erected, and in which a caloric 

 engine would do the work well. A man, too, who takes care of a caloric 

 engine can give a large portion of his time to other matters about a factory 

 or workshop. 



Mr. Butler would like to hear some remarks upon the wood working 

 machinery on exhibition. It seemed vastly improved as compared with 

 that exhibited on former occasions. Hamilton's wood moulding machine 

 seemed a very perfect and ingenious application of machinery to the pro- 

 duction of ornamental forms. Crosby's blind wiring machine and his miter- 

 ing machine seemed admirable labor-saving instruments. The one wirdd 

 the slats of blinds with much precision and despatch, and the other cut 

 right-angled miters on mouldings with perfect precision, cutting right and 

 left at the same time when required. 



Mr. Garvey considered the moulding and carving machine alluded to as 

 one of the greatest inventions of the age for the advancement of the build- 

 ing art. By the aid of Hamilton's machine, Gothic tracery could be carved 

 with a degree of exactness unattainable by hand work, and at a small frac- 

 tion of the cost of the same work when carved by hand. The arrangement 

 of the cutting edges in the.mitcring machine, he considered admirable. 

 By using knives instead of saws, the miter was cut as clean as if planed, 

 and by having one part of the knife commence cutting before the other part, 

 he thought thg fibers of the wood would be cut more easily than if the knife 

 came square down at once. The blind wiring machine worked admirably, 

 fixing the slats on the rods with such rapidity and regularity, as must save 

 half the expense of the work as executed by hand. 



Mr. Stetson inquired whether Spalding's glue, which was on exhibition, 

 would stick, and if any one present had experience in the use of it. 



Mr. Butler. — It will stick. I have asked Mr. Spalding if he had a patent 

 for his glue. He said he had not, that he relied for a monopoly of the bu- 

 siness upon advertising abundantly, being the first in the field, and supply- 

 ing the best article. He saw that there was such a thing wanted — a 

 cement always liquid — which could be employed to do all sorts of repairs 



