of Halkin Mountain, Flintshire. 409 
so hard and tough as the French, but they found them continue 
to improve, and to become as good as French; that they have 
seen all varieties of millstones, and made all sorts of millstones, 
but never saw any buhrs to come in competition with the French, 
except the Halkins, which they are satisfied will answer every 
' purpose.” 
In eorroboration of these statements, a sample of the bran 
(sifted in its rough state out of the flour) is respectfully sub- 
mitted to the Society. 
In May 1820 a Halkin millstone was sent to Mr, Pratt, of 
Saredon Mill (a large concern near Walsall, in Staffordshire), 
and set to work in his mill at Dudley. Mr. Pratt has had a very 
extensive practical experience for more than thirty years, and in 
October last he wrote that “it had been applied for several weeks 
in grinding wheat, and that it ground equal to French stones, 
and better than some of them; but he had it for grinding bar- 
ley, &c., and was so using it, and found it answer remarkably well 
for that purpose; that the face and dress keep good, and for a 
great length of time; and that in the spring he would have a 
pair of Halkin stones to grind wheat.’ Upon application to 
Mr. Pratt for the result of his further experience, he writes again 
on the 26th February, that “ he gave a just report of the good 
qualities of our Halkiu millstone in October last, and entertains 
the same opinion to the present day; but that it had been grind- 
ing barley, &c. ever since, and he never before met with any 
stones to bear hard grinding so well, and continue the dress so 
long.” 
In June 1820, Mr. Stephens, the owner and occupier of a steam 
mill in Harrington, Liverpool, having a desire to try the Halkin 
buhrs, obtained a buhr, which he broke into several pieces, and 
fixed them into different parts of a pair of French buhr millstones; 
and he certifies, that ‘¢ they have since worked to a good face, 
and crack as well as the rest of the stones; and as far as his opi- 
nion can be formed by such a circumstance, he considers the 
Halkin equal to the French buhrs.” He states also, ‘ that he 
has, at the request of the discoverers, taken out one of the pieces 
of Halkin buhr,from his millstones,” which they beg to offer to 
the attention of the Society as a convincing proof of the tough- 
ness and hardness they manifest after a few months’ wear, being 
in this respect also like the French bulirs. 
In August 1820, a pair of Halkin millstones, of five feet dia- 
meter, were sent ta Messrs. Pilling and Co,’s large mills, at Mir- 
field, near Leeds, who have not yet given“any written report of 
the stones; but Mr. Goodwin of Liverpool (a mutual friend of 
Mr. Pilling, and of the proprietors of the quarry,) states, that he 
lately had a conversation on the subject at Mirfield with Mr. 
Vol. 59. No. 290, June 1822, 3F Pilling, 
