work required by builders, joiners, pianoforte makers, cabinetmakers, &c. It will, in addition to cutting tenons up to 6 inches in thickness by 22 inches wide, accomplish the most delicate work required by cabinet and pianoforte makers. The top cutter-spindle and bearings are adjustable laterally in a dovetail slide, by means of a screw obviating the uncertain method of shifting the adze block on its spindle, for cutting tenons with shoulders of unequal length. The fence bar and quadrant for bevelled shoulders are accurately scaled. The machine and countershaft are self-contained, and carried on a strong iron bed-plate, cast in one piece. A drunken' saw is fitted on a vertical spindle at the back of the machine, for forming double tenons. The cutter spindles are of steel, and the bearings of phosphor bronze.

THE combining of the functions of several machines into one, under the title of general or universal joiners,' is of comparatively modern origin, and is more or less confined to this country, as we find very few machines of this class in use in America or on the Continent, although it is doubtless preferable, where the machines can be fully and constantly employed, that they should be separate and distinct; but as a large number of the building establishments in this country are not of sufficient extent to so profitably employ them, a well-designed combined machine, performing a considerable range of work, and produced in the first instance at a moderate cost, cannot but be of considerable value. On the first introduction of 'general joiners' they were very generally condemned, it being held that it was impossible to combine satisfactorily in one machine so great a range of work. This idea has now, however, been sufficiently disproved, although a large number of engineering abortions tended for some time to throw discredit on these very useful machines; we remember one production especially, made some years back by a firm of repute. In this combination no less than five distinct machines were crowded together on one bed

plate. As these necessarily ran at short centres, were inconvenient to work, and cost nearly as much as separate machines, we can hardly see what can be urged in their favour. We need hardly remark that very few, if any, were made after the first one. We believe the first general joiner' was designed by a Mr. Whines, in the year 1858, and was made by the firm of Samuel Worssam and Co., of London, who exhibited one of them in the International Exhibition of 1862; it has, however, since then been much improved by various makers, and the range of its work extended. About this date also a Mr. Sketchley, of Weymouth, designed a light machine of a similar class, but they were not made in any great numbers. Mr. Thomas Ladyman, of Rochdale, a few years since patented a compact little machine, fitted to a 'cored' pattern framing. Two tables are arranged to rise and fall independently, the one being adapted for moulding and sawing, and the other for boring and slot-mortising. The saw table is arranged with a false top and stop piece for crosscutting and for boring endways. A slide is also fitted for turning circular mouldings, as in a lathe. The machine has four speeds, ranging from 488 to 2,250 revolutions per minute, according to the work to be performed. In the year 1867 Mr. S. Worssam, of London, patented an improved general joiner. The improvements consisted, firstly, in the application to such machines of an apparatus whereby tenons may be completely cut in one traverse of the wood, and also the application to such machines of an arrangement for producing larger and more perfect mouldings, and an improved arrangement for squaring out the end of mortises left of semicircular form. This machine, with