cxcvi GENERAL SUMMARY OF SCIENTIFIC AND 



Percentage in and out of blast of whole number reporting : 



The following gives a comprehensive summary of the condition 

 of things : 



Following the published statistics of the association, we are en- 

 abled to affirm that the total production of rolled iron in 1875 was 

 1,890,379 net tons, against 1,839,560 tons in 1874, and 1,966,445 tons 

 in 1873. These figures embrace all kinds of rails, including Besse- 

 mer cut nails and spikes, bar, band, hoop, plate, sheet, angle, girder, 

 beam, boat, guide, rod and bridge iron, and rolled axles, and are 

 exclusive of forged iron, such as anchors, anvils, hammered axles, 

 cranks, ships' knees, etc. 



The total production of iron and steel rails of all sizes in 1875 w\as 

 792,512 net tons, against 729,413 tons in 1874, 890,077 in 1873, and 

 1,000,000 in 1872. Of this total for 1875, 501,649 tons w^ere iron rails 

 (against 584,469 tons in 1874), and 290,863 tons were Bessemer steel 

 rails (against 144,944 tons in 1874). The increase in the production 

 of Bessemer rails during the year 1875 was therefore more than 100 

 per cent, over the production of 1874. The increase in the quantity 

 of street rails produced w^as also noteworthy, the product of 1875 

 being 16,340 tons, as compared with 6,739 tons in 1874. 



There were during the year 1875 ten completed Bessemer estab- 

 lishments in this country in more or less active operation. Two of 



