Miscellany: Notes On Political Economy: Of Natural Agents

The advaniages of inanimate over animale natural agents, are several. 1. Inanimate agnts, n a small space, with little weighr, produce more power. Thus a steam engine, small in bulk, will do the werk of two hundred liorses. 2. Inanimate ngents never need to rest. - Animáis must spend the greater part of their time in feeding or in repose. A horse cennot labor severely for more thnn eight liours in twenty-fonr. Henee, to keep your mnchinery in motion, three relays of horses must be provided. 3. They are much cheaper. Inanimate agents are liable to no diseases, require no food, and créate expense only when at work. Were the labor now performed by steam to be performed by liorses, the price of the ordinary nccessaries of life would be quadrupled. The use of steam power nnd other inanimate agents, has a tendency to increase the amount of agricultural products. Suppose, on a eertain railroad, steam does the work of one thousand horses. A horíe requires as mtich Bustenance in a year as would support eight men. Conscquently on the land whereerly was raised hay for a thousand-horses, can now be raised wfieat enough for eighr. tliousand men. Tliis, at first, would reduce the price of wheat; and the result would be t'iat the district would support eight thousand more men than before. 4. There is commonly a gain in personal sajely. Animáis are endowed with passions andwill, which men can often neither control nor influcnce, whereas inanimate agents act under laws which may be knovvn and obeyed. Notwithstanding the dieadful accidenta tliat occur on steamboats and railroads, there is reason to believe that a greater nmount of human life would be sacrifieed, if the same number of persons were tiansported by liorses. 5. Inanimate agents; can be used without the iniliction of pain. Where labor is severe, or where great speed is required, animáis are soon destroyed . Inanimate power never endures pain from being overdriven. 6. Anímate power decieases with velocity. There is a limitation to ils epeed that cannot be passed. Suppose the tractive power of a horse, at two miles per hour, to be represented by 100, at the rate of three miles his force vill be 81; at four miles, 64; at five miles, 49; at six miles, 36; at the top of his speed, ie can carry no more than his own weight. - An engine can be made to work as powerfuly at one degree of velocity as at another. From these causes inanimate is fust taking he place of anímate agents. They produce a great eeonomy in time; they are much more erlain; and the expense of transporta! ion is materially roduced by the use of tliem. But power may not only be created by natiral agent?, but combinations of matter niay )e formed by which mere human force may be applied to greater advantagc. These are called the mechanical powers- the lever, the wheel and axle, the inclined piano, the screw, he pulley, and the wedge. These powers are ueually applied lont; before the creative agents are known. Archimedes had made great progress in the mechan ie arts, when flouring milis, saw-mills, steam ëngines and brick chimnies were entirely unknown. These two forms of natural ageney are ofen combined in a single machine. Man is successful just in propon ion as he can throw upon nature the burdsn of producing those ihings which hc desires; since nature a'ways worka wi'.h undevioting accuracy, with unerrinr fkill, with indefatigable perseverence; and she aiways works for nothing. By the application of the mechanical forces, we can change the direction of the moment - un produced by natural agents. 2. We can change power for velocity. - The ponderous revolutions of a large wheel eau be made to produce every degree of velocity over a whole factory. 3. We can thus exert forces too great for anímate power. The power required to forge anchors, propel steamboats, Uc. is greater tlian could be exerted by any anímate force, unless applied in combination with the me" chaniciil powers. 4. We can execute operations too delicate for human touch. The most delicate fabrics are invariably wrought by machinery. 5. By means of machinery, we are enabled to accumulate power. We exchange a centinuous small force for a sudden and violent one, as is the case with the pile driver, and the common beetle and wedge. 6. We can exchange a short and irregular píTort for a continuous and regular oné. This is done in ciocks, watehes, &tc. Here wc spread the action of a minute over a day or a week, with almostmathematical accuracy.