ON THE IRON MANUFACTURE IN GREAT BRITAIN. 105 
culators tempted by that extremely low price, occurred in April, when the 
quotation stands at 65s. per ton: in September the price was again reduced 
to 50s., and the average price of the year was 55s. 6d. per ton. In 1845, the 
lowest price, which also occurred in January, was 60s., and in March the 
price had advanced to 100s.; in May purchases were freely made at 110s.; 
and we cannot wonder that with a rise in price equal to 175 per cent., so great a 
stimulus should be given to the extension of iron-works. On the authority 
of the same firm, it is stated, that the number of furnaces in blast, which at 
the end of 1845 was 87, was on the 30th of June 1846 increased to 97, and 
that the computed make of pig-iron in Scotland, in the first six months of 
the present year, is 260,000 tons, equal to 520,000 tons in the year, showing 
that the production has been more than doubled in the six years since 1840. 
I have before me a detailed account of the iron-works of Scotland in 
August 1846, which gives 105 as the number of furnaces in blast, 21 as those 
out of blast, in addition to 11 more building. The weekly make of pig-iron 
at the 105 furnaces is said to be 11,010 tons, equal to 550,050 tons per 
annum ; estimating that each furnace is in action during 50 weeks. This ac- 
count is in part corroborated by a table kindly sent tome by Dr. Watt, of the 
works in Lanarkshire, and which places the yearly produce of that county at 
390,000 tons. It is further stated, that notwithstanding the great increase in 
the quantity made, according to the concurrent testimony of all parties, the 
stock of iron in the hands of the makers and dealers has materially decreased. 
The stock in Glasgow at the end of 1845 was 210,000 tons 
and on the 30th of June 1846, only .... 140,000 
TO Yeteh ats oye” mPa (2 LAY gee Nae eee ae eR 70,000 tons. 
It may be assumed that this increase of production, although it may have 
been at first called forth by speculation, has not been sustained by those 
means, since the stock has thus diminished in the face of that increase, while 
the price has been declining. In January it was 80s. and in June 68s. per ton. 
A statement which appeared in the ‘Glamorgan Gazette’ computed the 
make of iron in 1843 at 1,210,550 tons, of which quantity 238,750 tons were 
assigned to Scotland. The entire quantity was stated to have been the pro- 
duce of 339 furnaces in blast, while there were said to be 190 furnaces out 
of blast in different parts of the kingdom. Another statement, communicated 
to me by Mr. Buckley (Member of Parliament for Newcastle), differs but 
slightly from that which was inserted in the ‘Glamorgan Gazette,’ the total 
quantity made being given as 1,215,350 tons (see App. No. 10). 
In the absence of any authentic statement of the make of iron in England 
and Wales at this present, time, an attempt bas been made by correspondence 
to ascertain the facts as they exist in different localities. The result of in- 
quiries thus conducted cannot have the same value as the investigations made 
by Mr. Jessop in 1840, but is offered here as the best which it has been in 
my power to produce. 
It is given as the opinion of several most intelligent iron-masters whom I 
have consulted, that nearly all the increased production of iron in this king- 
dem since 1840, has been drawn from Scotland. It is true that insome of the 
Scotch works there is already experienced a short supply of materials, but on 
the other hand, new fields are discovered and brought into working. Mr. 
_ Jessop states, that “a new field of coal and iron has been opened out in 
_ Ayrshire, but not so favourable as the Airdrie and Coalbridge district.” The 
_ great demand at present experienced, and that which is sure to follow from 
_ the extent of the railway projects which have received legislative sanction in 
- 1845 and 1846, have naturally stimulated every establishment to its utmost 
