514 TKANSACTIONS OF THE 



and points can be removed and new ones inserted by any body in 

 five minutes. Shoes worn by a horse drawing a spring cart in 

 Philadelphia for eight weeks, lately, were shown not to be yet 

 worn out. JOHN W. CHAMBERS. 



The Clerk of the Institute announced that he had received 

 from the Hon. Charles Mason of the Patent office, Washington 

 city, seeds for distribution. These were very acceptable to the 

 members. Among them we notice the white flint corn, from New 

 Mexico. We rejoice in this most noble and wise operation of our 

 government in tliis grand introduction of seeds from all the 

 world. 



President Pell remarked that our blacksmiths object to this 

 use of steel, and will not change their habits. 



Mr. Hinsdale — Planing machines encountered as much oppo- 

 sition in Philadelphia, for some time, from the shovers of the old 

 plane. 



Professor Nash, of Vermont, was requested to explain the ope- 

 ration of the stump extractor, invented by Willis. The model 

 exhibited is about four to five feet long. It is a w^ooden lever 

 plated with iron, having iron chains and hooks, &c., to secure it 

 to the stump at suitable points. The short end of the lever is 

 supported by a wheel of broad tire, while the long end is support- 

 ed by a wheel of larger diameter. The lever, is, therefore, an 

 axle of these two wheels. Where the chains are secured around 

 the stump, the power of horses or oxen is applied at the long 

 end of the lever, exerting its greatest force to partly lift the 

 stump from its place, then the force is exerted the other way, so 

 that the hold of the stump to the earth is loosened both ways — 

 and in practice reacUly comes out. On fair trials, this machine 

 pulls average sized stumps out at the rate of one in five minutes, 

 drawing all of them out of an acre of forest at a cost of about ten 

 dollars. Stumps of pine trees, four feet in diameter, drawn in 

 five minutes. 



Mr. Alexander Lindsay, of Malone, New York, desired to show 

 to the club samples of glass made here and polished by Sage's 

 new patent polishing machine. The samples shown were of trans- 

 lucent and of opaque glass of thicknesses from half an inch to 

 more . Tlie opaque were of a lovely blue and light marble tint — 

 the two latter being intended to be applied to use as table tops, 

 &c. The model of the polishing macliine was exhibited. This 

 patent aims at producing surfaces perfectly level as well of high- 

 est polish. Members were pleased with it. 



