Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1856-12-09

BY synoptical statement furnished to tho In
terior Department by tho Commissioner OF Pa
tents which treats of matters pert aiming to that
Office, up to the 18th of November, we are put in
possessio of the following
Previous to the year 1853. tho highest mum
Der of patents issued in any one year was LOG,
which was in lSi9 In lS53,the number was on
" 95S In 1854, it increased to l,oO2 and in
500, il was augmented to 1904.
From small beginnings the Patent Office has
grown into proportions comparatively gigantic,
Half century since tho whole revenue of the
office did not exceed $500 per annum. which
all appropriated to the payment OF one clerk,
who transacted the whole business of the office.
The income of the present year will be about
5000, 900, which will still be scarcely sufficient
To detrny the contingent expenses of the office,
with its one hundred examiners, clerks, and 9th
er employees.
If compare the present condition OF the of
fee with what it was Il few years since, we shrll
find that during the four years previous to 1893,
the average annual number of applications for
patents was |, SEQ, while for the four years from
1853 inclusive, such average annual number will
fall but lltts short of four thousand!
The number of patents annually increased du
ring the former period averages 800. During
the latter it will be about 1850. For the current
year the whole number of applications made, the
whole number of patents granted, and the whole
amount of revenue received Twill respectively be at
least double to what they we're in any one year
| prior TO 1853.
! The lumber of applications for patents in this
| office IN 1888, was greater than those in the OF
flee of any other country on earth, having been
! ABS, against 2,95S in Great Britain and 4,O56
| IN France. For the present year, the number OF
applications will probably not fall short of five
| thousand!
In addition to the business of the Patent Office
proper. Congress has resolved upon the Commits
/ sin as D,tanta suparvisi,n Of ba mi
al Gallery and the control and disposition of the
fund annually appropriated for agricultural pur-
poses. The former of these duties is of compar-
atvelv very small moment--the latter is of very
great and rapidly growing Importance.
There seems no natural and immediate connec-
tion between the proper business of tho Patent
Office and the subject Of agriculture, except in
their mutual relation tn the industrial pursuits OF
the people But the revenues ot the Patent Of
tico being somewhat in excess in 1899, the Com
missioner of Patents was authorized to apply
s 200 for the purpose oi procuring agricultural
statistics. For many years subsequent to that
time annual appropriations were made from the
same fund for similar purpose. These were
increased, from time to tune, until they reached
the sum of $4,000 when they remained nearly
stationary for several years.
lu 1891 the appropriations was increased to S3o,-
0O0, and made payable out of the general treas.
ury. And the appropriation for the present year
has been swelled Ia the sum at SlO5.ouo The
objects embraced in this appropriation are declar-
ed to be 1.-THE collection of agricultural statistics,
Investigations for promoting agriculture and ru-
| raj economy and the procurement and disrtu
| ton 1T cuttings and seeds"
10 pursuance of the design of Congress, meas.
ures have been taken 10 procure cuttings and
seeds from every quarter of the world where any
new product eau be found which is likely to
prove useful in any portion of the United States
Many new productions of great probable utility
have thus been already introduced, and others
being sought for wherever there is any prospect