the Philadelphia Centennial Exhibition. 
91 
belonging to the firm. Last year, 1875, they turned out 12,000 
separate 'machines, and confidently anticipate to do as much 
this year. The three firms which manufacture the Champion 
.Machine Patents, have capabilities to produce 30,000 machines 
per annum. Johnstone, F. D. Osborne, W. A. Wood, VV. Anson 
Wood, are all large makers ; and the question may well be 
asked, Where can a market be found for such an outcome? 
Hitherto the rapidly extending area brought into cultivation has 
sufficed ; but the home demand must at the present time be 
more than provided for, and many of the leading firms are 
actively campaigning for foreign custom. It is believed, and 
not unreasonably, that a considerable impetus will be given to 
export trade as one result of the Centennial Exhibition. If we 
seek for causes to explain the extraordinary inventive activity 
which has of late years especially distinguished our transatlantic 
brethren, we shall not have far to search. Machinery in a 
sparsely populated country, with such vast resources waiting 
only labour to develop them, is a necessity to existence. The 
demand has created the supply, until at the present time the 
latter has somewhat outrun the former. . Invention has been 
fostered and encouraged by the laws of patent right, which I 
believe are more favourable than with us ; the smallest detail 
can be protected. Not the least of the many interesting sights 
which I saw was the marvellous collection of Models of Patents 
in the Patent Office at Washington, a museum that well repays 
careful inspection. Here were found illustrations of every design 
that had been patented, arranged in order of age, so that a com- 
parison of progress was possible ; and the fullest information 
could be obtained by those who were interested. In bringing 
this article to its conclusion, I must crave the indulgence of nvy 
readers, both for its great length and its many deficiencies. It is 
not intended to represent, by any means, a complete account of 
the Agricultural Machinery of the Philadelphia Exhibition as 
a whole ; a volume would be required for such an object, but 
rather to convey some idea of the character of the Exhibition, 
and more especially to afford information as to some, at least, 
of the more prominent labour-saving machines of which at the 
present time we stand in almost as much need as our American 
cousins. 
