216 



CEMENTS, LIMES, AND PLASTERS. 



close grain and is of a peculiar pasty appearance. Prior to calcina- 

 tion the stone is carefully analyzed, to ascertain the exact quantity 

 of lime, as well as other chemical properties, it may contain. The 

 stone loses about one third of its weight during the process of burning, 

 which also changes it to a brown tinge. When withdrawn from the 

 kiln the cement is put under sheds to thoroughly cool before being 

 ground. After grinding and before being barreled it is put into pits 

 and left undisturbed for two months. 



"Natural Portland cement was first manufactured in Belgium in 

 1882o The following are the principal works now engaged in this enter- 

 prise: Compagnie Generate des Ciments Portland de 1'Escaut, Dumon 

 et Cie, and Goblet, Delward et Cie, Tournai; Societe Anonyme de Chercg, 

 Chercg; L' Union Fraternelle, La Franco-Beige, and Dutoit & Tell freres, 

 Calonne; Lemain & Fleury, Lampe et Cie, and Societe Anonyme du Can- 

 can, Antoing; V ve Alex. Dapsens and Duquesne et Cie, Vaulx; Laurent 

 Delvigne & fils, Gaurany; the United Ghent- Antwerp Portland Cement 

 Works, Ghent. With few exceptions, these establishments have formed 

 a syndicate, under the name of ' Mutualite Commerciale des Ciments 

 Beiges ', with headquarters at Tournai. The society sells about 

 1,200,000 barrels of cement annually. The syndicate has adopted 

 as a trade-mark the figure of a hammer. Any firm, however, of the 

 syndicate having a trade-mark is privileged to use it. For instance, 

 those firms having the well-known ' rhinoceros ', ' trowel ', ' sword ', 

 etc., use them in conjunction with the syndicate trade-mark. Inde- 

 pendently of the trade-marks of the manufacturers, important buyers 

 of the Mutualite who have labels enjoying a certain reputation are 

 permitted to affix them on the barrels. It is stated that the principal 

 object of this arrangement by the Belgian manufacturers is to warn 

 and protect purchasers against persons who purchase Roman cement 

 for export without mark or label and unknown and unauthorized by 

 the manufacturers have Portland-cement labels affixed to the barrels 

 at port of shipment. The Mutualite has sent circulars to interested 

 parties in the United States informing them of the measures adopted 

 to prevent this fraud. Hereafter all barrels containing cement manu- 

 factured, shipped, or sold by this syndicate will be fire-marked as fol- 

 lows: First quality, inside and outside of barrel, 'Portland Warranted 

 M. C. B.'; second quality, inside only, ' Deuxieme quality'; third 

 quality, inside only, ' Ciment Remain '. 



" Roman cement is also manufactured in the Tournai district. It 

 is much cheaper than Portland cement, the selling price being about 

 50 per cent less than the Portland. It is much employed in Belgium, 





