We commence with the stitch made by the Wheeler & Wilson machine, [Office, 343 Broadway, New York,] as that appears to be the simplest, and most easily illustrated. Fig. 1 exhibits two pieces of cloth, c, placed together and partly sewed. A little examination will show that the upper thread e, e, e, is crossed in the centre of the cloth by the lower thread z, z, z-in other words, the two threads cross each other and are thus locked together. This is essentially the 'lock-stitch' invented, and patented in 1846, by Mr. Howe.

We see also that the underside of the cloth will present precisely the same appearance as the upper.

In the machine invented by Mr. Howe, the upper needle was moved by machinery, and the lower thread was carried through the loop by means of a shuttle having within it a bobbin (or spool) of thread. This arrangement is still used in heavy machines for leather and other thick fabrics, and in some of the "family machines." The Wheeler & Wilson machine is an improvement upon the shuttle, in several respects. It makes precisely the same stitch, but with less complicated machinery and less waste of power. We will try

Fig. 2 is designed to illustrate how this stitch might be made by hand.

Here the needle h, carrying the upper thread e, is thrust down through the cloth (the eye foremost) and partly drawn up again, thus forming a small loop of the upper thread. Through the loop thus made, a needle carrying the lower thread z, is passed. (We are apparently sewing with the blunt end of the needle, but in practice we may suppose the eye of the needle to be near the point, which is the case in all sewing machine needles.)

If we now withdraw the upper needle it will carry the lower thread into the centre of the fabric, forming a complete lock-stitch, as seen in Fig. 3.

to explain its working to the readers of the American Agriculturist. Referring to fig. 4, we see the needle and upper thread, e, thrust down, just as in fig. 2. But in fig. 4, the lower thread, z, is wound upon a bobbin, or spool, f. To illustrate the working, we may suppose this bobbin passed into the loop between the needle, h, and the upper thread, e. In fig. 5 it is shown carried through. we see that, on withdrawing the needle, h, the upper thread will draw the lower one into the cloth, producing a lock-stitch in the centre of the fabric, precisely as in fig. 3.

Here

bend down the upper thread through the cloth, to make a loop, e. Next bend a loop of z through the upright loop, and carry this last horizontal loop forward, so that the second loop through the cloth can be brought down through it. Then hold the second loop of the upper thread open until the second loop of the lower thread is thrust through it, and carried forward, to be entered by the third loop of the upper thread. Continuing this operation gives the arrangement in fig. Fig. 11.

10.

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seen that the same effect would have been produced, had the bobbin, or spool, f, remained stationary, and the loop been carried around it-down the right side and up the left, around the lower thread, z. This end is, in effect, accomplished in the machine.

It is surprising to see with what rapidity these successive stitches can be made. A quick motion is communicated to the needle, circular hook, bobbin, &c., by turning a multiplying wheel, with a foot treadle. In ordinary work, eight hundred to a thousand stitches are easily made in one minute, and this, all day long; and there is scarcely a limit to the speed. (Think of that, ye who would see your wives, mothers, and daughters continue bent over the hand needle, which can scarcely execute fifty stitches a minute, at best!)

We omitted to say that the cloth is moved forward by a simple feed motion, making long or short stitches according to the will of the operator. An examination of the stitches will show that there is less thread used than is required in ordinary back-stitching, since in back-stitching there is a double thread on part of each surface, while here there is but one continuous thread.

We intended to further show, not only the kind of stitches, but also the mode of making them in the other varieties of machines, but we have not been able to complete the necessary drawings. We will, however, describe briefly the appearance of the stitches in one or two of them.

Fig. 10.

Fig. 11 shows these stitches left loosely, as they appear when looking upon the under surface of the cloth. The loop, or horse-shoe, terminates abruptly upon the left of each. At this point the two ends pierce the cloth, as seen in fig. 10 above.

In the next illustration, (fig. 12) we have the appearance of the cloth after being sewed, with the stitches drawn up by the machine in actual work. The cuts of course show the stitches magnified. When they are made short and the threads are properly tightened, we can only see a small continuous cord running along the under side of the cloth. It will be observed, then, that of the two machines described, one makes the stitches on both sides of the cloth alike, the other gives a continuous stitch on the upper side like orFig. 12.

In fig. 10 we have given, as nearly as we could, the form of the stitch made by the Grover & Baker machine, where the threads are purposely left loose, so that the course of each one can be traced. A glance at the figure shows the course of the upper thread, e, e, e, and the lower one, z, z, z, the latter being smaller than the former.

Suppose we begin at the left hand, and

Fig. 13 illustrates the Tambour or chain stitch, made with a single thread. This is the kind used in the cheaper, or rather the lower priced machines. It will at once be seen that the stitch can be readily unravelled by taking hold of the thread at the left. There may cases where sewing in this manner may be useful, but a glance at the stitch itself will show that it is not adapted to general sewing in a family.

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