12 TRANSACTIONS OF ROVAL SCOTTISH ARBORICULTURAI, SOCIKTY. 



the timber had grown up again in the locality the furnaces came 

 back and the slag heap was again utilised. At first the furnaces 

 were built in valleys open to the prevailing wind, thus getting 

 a natural blast, but when bellows were discovered many went 

 to water-courses where they could utilise the water power while 

 also being near the wood. The small furnace originally used 

 produced small blooms, which were slightly spongy but malle- 

 able. Later on, as furnaces got bigger, the iron became more 

 of the nature of cast-iron till now it is entirely in that form." 



The journal of the Royal Society of Arts contains an article 

 by Mr Henry B. Wheatly, D.C.L., F.S.A. (vol. Ixi., Sept. 19th 

 and 26th, 1913), which gives some very interesting information 

 re charcoal iron works in England, but overlooks those of 

 Messrs Harrison Ainslie as being still in existence. In review- 

 ing the course of iron works prior to the use of coal or coke, he 

 alludes to the danger to the country by denudation of. forests, 

 which threatened to become so acute that the Navy Com- 

 missioners about 1660 nominated John Evelyn to investigate the 

 subject. Mr Wheatly cjuotes a very interesting paragraph 

 from Evelyn's report : — 



" Nature has thought fit to produce this wasting ore more 

 plentifully in woodlands than any other point, and to enrich 

 our forests to their own destruction — a deep execration of iron 

 mills and iron masters also." 



It was in Scotland that Messrs Harrison Ainslie started their 

 Lorn Works at Bonawe in Lorn (Argyllshire) in 1753, removing 

 them later to the Lindal Moor mines near Ulverston, and I am 

 indebted to them for the following information : — 



" We are still manufacturing charcoal pig-iron, our brand 

 being known as ' Lorn,' and we consume upwards of 3000/4000 

 tons of lump charcoal per annum, which we require in the 

 manufacture of this special iron. At one time charcoal iron 

 was extensively made in this country, but owing to the increas- 

 ing cost of charcoal and to the scarcity of it, different furnaces 

 have gone out of blast, and have been dismantled, and now the 

 furnace owned by this company and situated at Backbarrow, on 

 the river Leven, is the only charcoal furnace working in Great 

 Britain. This furnace was erected in the early part of the 

 eighteenth century, and with the exception of heightening the 

 original furnace to increase its capacity the process of manu- 

 facture is identical with that used at that time. The furnace 



