40 EXPEDITION TO THE 



seventy dollars, while the pigs command only thirty dol- 

 lars a ton. Bar iron, and that not of the best quality, is 

 sold for one hundred and twenty-five dollars. The little 

 iron, refined in this vicinity, is generally of an inferior 

 character. The experiment of manufacturing the iron by 

 rolling, as is done at Reeves' establishment, has not been 

 attended with sufficient success to lead to a more general 

 introduction of this process. We conversed with several 

 intelligent iron masters on the subject, with a view to 

 obtain accurate information on the advantages of this me- 

 thod over that of hammering; the result of which was, 

 that the product obtained from rollers was not so uniformly 

 good as that obtained by hammering, which, in the opinion 

 of our informants, was due rather to the defect of the work- 

 men than of the process. The management of rollers is 

 probably not well understood by them. We have taken oc- 

 casion to record this information, because it appears to us that 

 every thing that can throw light upon the manufacture of 

 iron, is interesting. We consider the question of the pro- 

 priety of using rollers, as a highly important one, and as one 

 not yet settled ; we know that a strong prejudice exists in 

 this country against the rolled iron ; and that the results of 

 experiments made in Pennsylvania, are rather unfavour- 

 able J but we likewise know, that the process is very ex- 

 tensively carried on in England, where it has met with a 

 decided preference in many instances; and the economy 

 which attends it, must make it very desirable that it should 

 prove successful. Experience shows that all innovations 

 in the arts meet with objections ; and that the failure of 

 those, who attempt to repeat them without proper care or 

 knowledge, is not unfrequently attributed to the imper- 

 fections of the process, instead of being charged to the in- 

 experience of the operators. 



