Supply of Coal and Iroixstone from the West of Scotland. 299 



to work of it is confined to patches at Holehill and Kawyards, near 

 Airdrie, and Kosehall, near Coatbridge. 



At Quarter, near Hamilton, ib is again met with, and is worked for the 

 supply of the iron-works there. Estimated area still to work, 700 acres. 



SoPT Band Ironstone. — At 106 Fatlioms — Average Thickness, 20 

 Indies. — This is an inferior ironstone, partially worked at Millfield, 

 near Airdrie; also at Darngaveland Arden. At Darngavel it was of 

 fair quality, and yielded a good per centage of iron, and was used 

 extensively in some of the iron-works ; but the working of it has now 

 been entirely discontinued, and notwithstanding the increased distance 

 from which ironstone has to be brought to the furnaces, its quality is 

 not such as to warrant its being opened up and worked ; so that we 

 cannot calculate on this ironstone as one which will contribute to the 

 supply, so long as a better quality can be got. 



Rough, oe Curly Band Ironstone. — At 120 Fathoms — Average 

 Thickness, 5 Inches. — This band of ironstone lies a few feet above the 

 Virtue Well coal. It lies embedded in a matrix of shale, in round and 

 oval shaped balls, containing no carbonaceous matter. It is therefore 

 mixed in the bing with layers of coal to assist its calcination. It is in 

 its best condition at Cleland, and near Newarthill, and does not seem 

 to be of much value out of those districts. It is seen at Shotts, and 

 has been bored through at Wishaw, but found inferior in quality. 

 Estimated area still to work, 500 acres. 



Virtue Well Coal. — At 122 Fathoms — Average Thickness, 30 

 Inches. — This seam is well known in the Monklands, where it has been 

 long worked as a clean and valuable coal. In the northern portion of 

 the field, along the tract of the Monklands railway, it is burned, by its 

 proximity to a sheet of whinstone which passes over this district, but 

 it is thereby rendered more valuable for steam purposes, and it is 

 worked exclusively for these purposes at Rawyards, Airdrie-hill, and 

 Ballochnie. In the more southern district, in the neighbourhood of 

 Cleland, it is hard and spliuty, and admirably adapted for iron-smelt- 

 ing. The seam extends over a large area. In the Monklands its 

 northern limit is near Gartsherrie, Drumshangy, and Meadowfield. 

 On the west it extends as far as Drumpeller, and at one time was 

 worked near Hogganfield, although very thin. On the south limit of 

 the field it is worked at Nctherburn, and on the east at Shotts. This 

 coal leaves the New Monkland parish at Avonhead, and enters into 

 Stirlingshire, where it takes the name of the Lady Grange coal, and 

 averages about twenty-nine inches in thickness. It covers a pretty 

 large area in the parish of Slamannan, where it is worked at Limerig 

 and Binniehill. Estimated area still to work, 10,0()() acres. 



