EXTENT OF APPLICATION. 21 



uses, though the reasons are not always given for the selection 

 that is made. 



During the course of experiments which occupied five years, 

 previous to the discovery of the vulcanizing process, and tv^^o 

 years subsequently to it, new uses and applications of gum-elas- 

 tic were almost constantly discovered, and the substance with 

 which the writer experimented, was indiscriminately applied to 

 different articles, as convenience and fancy prompted, for the 

 purpose of testing the quality of the gum, and the success of the 

 experiments. In this way a more thorough knowledge was ac- 

 quired of the nature and susceptibility of the substance, so that 

 when his efforts were crowned with success, and there remained 

 no doubt that a valuable improvement had been made, and there 

 was no longer any danger of failure from the decomposition of 

 the gum, the inventor was well prepared to go forwai^d and ex- 

 tend the applications of the improvement indefinitely, until the 

 question came not to be, How far can they be extended ? but. 

 Where is the limit ? 



A large proportion of the fabrics, and a great number of the 

 applications and newly invented articles have never, until now, 

 been presented to the public. It is to be expected that a portion 

 of the community will consider some of these things simply as 

 novelties, too uncertain to be represented as articles of utility ; 

 but it may be remarked, they are not novelties to the author. 

 Many of them have been experimented upon and tested by 

 him for years, in various ways, although it is true the greatest 

 share of them have been but recently perfected. Among the 

 most recently invented fabrics are the fibrous and plated fabrics, 

 the napped, porous, corded, perforated, and indelible fabrics, 

 cord-ware, hollow-ware, and sponge goods, improved air-work, 

 the quilted and ventilated fabrics, and the various hard com- 

 pounds — caoutchouc enamel, whalebone, buck-horn, and ivory. 

 These, together with the recently perfected and most important 

 applications — ships' sails, globes, carpeting, umbrellas, and life- 

 preserving trunks, and bags, have been withheld for the purpose 

 of being perfected, and also to be made public subsequent to the 

 completion of this work. 



