AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 521 



fruit produced in the wine district last yeai*. In the district of 

 Douro, in regular years they liave 1,190 pipes, in 1855, 200 

 pipes. The export of wine in 1855 to all the world was 34,386 

 pipes, of which 683 went to the United States. This failure has 

 produced great distress, because this rugged and rocky mountain- 

 ous district is adapted exclusively to the vine and olive, and is 

 incapable of raising grain. 



William B. Leonard, corresponding secretary and agent of the 

 Institute, exhibited his new patent Dynamometer, and explained 

 its properties — I think it will entirely supersede all other instru- 

 ments for ascertaining the expenditure of motive power. This 

 instrument was first intended to show the expenditure of power 

 in plowing. For instance, wiien applied to a number of plows, 

 drawn over an equal space or surface of groimd, the instrument 

 will show the exact amount of power exerted upon each plow. 

 I now propose to apply the same principle or the same instrument 

 to every machine, or in any place wdiere it is desirable to ascer- 

 tain the amount of power used in doing a certain amount of work. 

 The importance of the matter will readily be recognised by all 

 who are using steam or other motive power in any kind of busi- 

 ness. Apply it between the locomotive and a train of cars, and 

 it will show not only the amount of power necessary to haul the 

 train over a level road, but up every different grade on the road. 

 The instrument is self-registering, and will note with great accu- 

 racy any variations of power used. After it has once been ascer- 

 tained w^hat amount of power is actually necessary to haul a 

 given load over a well constructed road, with the rolling stock 

 in good order, this instrument applied would instantly note the 

 effect of defects in the track or the machinery, because it would 

 indicate that more power was being expended than the load 

 ought to demand. This will lead to enquiries whether the defect 

 was in the track or in the machinery, or wiiether from want of 

 good lubrication. The defect once being known, the proper 

 remedy could be applied before it had become a matter of serious 

 import m the matter of expense or danger. This invention is 

 now used to test the quality of the different lubricating oils 

 and compounds used in railway service. I can easily arrange a 

 machine that will measure tlie quantity of rain falling in each 

 month or year, or the strength and amount of wind blowing at 

 any time. The same plan can be applied to measure water drawn 

 through any pipe. Attached to the log of a ship, it can be made 

 to register not only the distance run, but the quantity of power 



