The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1848-06-23

Fsssats Issued, iaeI9d,ag sdaAs0sGl !sn'
provsmsnts and designs. .,,...,,.,' loS
Pateuts which expired during the year :. $50
| Applications for extension Of patents about
| Applications for extension Of patents
| Applications for extension of patents re,
| Applications for patents examined and re-
| Total receipts, including duties, and fees
applications for patents, caveats, re-
issues disclaimers additional improve
ments, extensions and for copies. 80. s6s,ll 10
Refunded applications withdrawn, and
for money paid in by mistake. SS,S0S AZ
| Expenses Of the Office during the year, in
Guiding salaries, Temporal y clerks
tingent expenses. compen sation Of the
Chief Justice of the District of Column
bia, sitting on appeals from the Commits
sioner of Patents, library and agricultu-
| lal statistics, and for the restoration of
| records and drawings ............ s4l,S7s SO
| Amount Of balance to be carried to the
credit of Patent fund. :. ........... s2l,2s2 "a
| Amount Of money in the treasury to the
| credit of Patent Fund ut the close of the
| year, January LIST, 1oIS. S2OS,797 90
In referring to the financial affairs of this de-
| partment, the commissioner remarks, that with
| the exception of the cost of the present patent
office building, to which the office contributed
sos 900 of Its own funds II has never been charge
| upon the treasury.
| Nearly all of its revenues (says the commits
sioner are derived from inventors 1t Is sustained
by their contributions; its services appropriate
ed the promotion of their particular interests,
although rendered TO all interests when required;
| and 1t may, therefore, truly be regarded as the
head and representative OF inventive genius and
the industrial arts of the country
The annual reports OF the two principal examl-
| ners, giving view OF the inventions and improve
ments which have passed their respective desks,
| set forth interesting summary OF the sclentltc
operations OF the office during the past year. thus
presenting IN small space most conclusive and
gratifying proofs of the progress OF our countrymen
in the Improvement of the most useful arts.
| The peculiar circumstances OF society In this
| ,f
when compared with the age of other civilized
| portions of the earth, and imposing the necessity
OF subjugating the forest, OF smoothing down the
rugged face OF nature and OF planting upon It's
| bosom the arts OF industry, which have rapidly
terminated and developed themselves into great
| and Important interests, now tlounshlng with
vlyos and energy which enable them to become the
formidable rivals OF similar interests OF older
| iions-have tended to stimulate the inventive ge-
MUS OF unitarian and labor saving character,
rather than to the pursuit OF more scientific Disco
very. Hence, while we may be behind other
| countries in the discovery and development OF
scientific principles, we are probably equal with, II
not III advance of them, IN their application TO the
useful purposes of life. But if the genius of our
| countrymen Is not now so much absorbed In the
Investigation of abstract science, as that of the
citizens of older and more opulent countries, the
circumstances of society so rapidly improving by
the steady tide of prosperity which sets In our ia
vor, will soon place a condition to contribute
| our share to the sum of knowledge which the
| combined genius and labors OF the earned OF all
| civilized nations annually bestow upon mankind.
During the year 1910 the number OF applications
tor patents was 765, the number of caveats filed
was 22S, and the number OF patents granted was
475 From this 1t appears that the business OF the
patent office has increased one hundred per cent
within the last eight years.
On examining the tabular estimates ofthe agrlcul
tural report for 1917, says the Commissioner, 1t APP
pears that while of the crops interior IN value
| and amount have remained nearly stationary, or,
perhaps, slightly dimini the great staple pro-
ducts OF home agriculture have steadily lncreas-
ed; thus furnishing as usual, ample provision tor
| domestic consumption, and an additional surplus
TOR expectation; and in abiding to the potato rot,
| lie says:-The deprivation and suffering which 1t
| has inflicted on the people OF other countries,
have revealed the great resources OF TINS, and
demonstrated Its capacity to supply the Wants and
demands OF other nations to any extent which
| can bs reasonably anticipated. 1t was, indeed,
| spectacle grateful to humanity, and sublime to
contemplate to see our fertile and prolific country,
opening It's rich stores OF agricultural products TO
| feed the furnishing millions OF other nations and
TO arrest the strides OF appalling and lnexorable
famine which was sweeping them by thousands to
| the grave selling to those who had the means OF
| purchasing, and generous y giving, without money
| or prlce, TO those who had not.
| The quantity of grain of all kinds, exported
during the commercial year, ending August 3lst,
| l547, was Al ,993 bushels. Of this quantity,
Is, 76S $40 bushels wheat, and 2O,6N,6 64 BUSH
| els Indian corn; the remainder being rye, barley
and oats. And yet this large quantity sent to
foreign countries did not exhaust our surplus pro-
| ducts by millions of bushels. The Commissioner
on this subject, states, that while he on tour
through several of the States bordering the
| great Western lakes, during the last summer, he
| found the depots of grain, the remains of the
| crops of 1916, filled to OVERLOOKING, and all the
| avenues of transportation choked up with the I'M
| mense quantities which were pouring in through
them to the Atlantic coast to seek markets abroad.
| The report Is accompanied by some very lnte-
resting notices OF patented Inventions, OF which
we give the following ABSTRACT
| ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS of patents granted, 49,
| In agricultural pursuits marked disparity Is ex
| hlblted between this and every other country
| In the outstanding OF farming resources
we are much behind European nations and even,
| perhaps, that singular people the Chinese; while,
in variety, extent, and utility of laborsaving In
| struments, for agriculture, we greatly excel. ~
| The whole number of patented inventions In this
country, belonging to this class OF agriculture, is
| l043 In this class are included, not only the va
| rious instruments for tilling the earth entering
| and gathering crops and preparing them for mar
| ket, but also every implement and machine be-
| longing to the comprehensive subject Of rural
economy.
CHEMISTRY Number of patents granted, As.
AS this branch OF science Is progressing more ra-
pdy than any other of the present day, Its appllca-
zion to the arts, in measure, keeps pace ; and the
past year exhibits interesting catalogue OF IN
| ventions under this class
| But little credit can be claimed for our coun-
try In the advancement OF the science OF chemistry
| in comparison with Germany, France, Sweden,
| and England. But while we admit the Deficiency
and plead the infancy OF our Institutions, as the
most obvious and natural apology we are warranted,
upon facts, In claiming pre-emlnence IN the appli-
| cation of chemistry to the arts and this without
necessarily arrogatng genius, as advance
ment in this latter respect, Is, perhaps, due to that
very condition which we have pleaded for our
| packwardness in science. The foreign applIca-
| uons under this class have been few, and two OF
| the patented inventions, presenting uncommon in
| tsrest, were from citizens Of the United States
| siding abroad.
| MATnEMATrcAL AND PHnosopHcAL INSTRUMENTS
| Number of patents granted, q amongst wmcn
| may be enumerated an important Improvement IN
the mariners compass, and for the invention of "a
srlf-adjustng pendulum, by which the necessity
| of carefully dwelling clock is dispensed with.
| CALoRIF-Embracng improvements in stoves,
drying grain and flour, .ventllators heating tire
| wheels &c. Number of patents, 80.