No. 216.] 127 



and strange as it may appear, at no great advance in cost of the 

 fuel over the additional cost of transportation of the iron from north- 

 ern New-York, and less than thp cost of fi eight from the Juniata 

 iron country. 



The interest on 50,000 acres of land, at $10 per acre, is 35 cents 

 per cord, or $1.40 per ton of iron; to this add two cents per bushel, 

 (the cost of freight by railroad from Raraapo, Rockland Co., to the 

 city of New-York,) on two hundred bushels, is $4. Ore beds of 

 good quality and of inexhaustible extent exist in several locations 

 within the expense of ^1.50 per ton freight to New-York, requiring 

 say two tons of ore for one ton of blooms, freight on ore $3. These 

 several items put together, amount to $8.40, while the freight from 

 Keeseville, N. Y., is $7, per ton, and from the Juniata iron district 

 about $10 per ton, the average being in favor of a location in or near 

 New-York city; to this may be added the advantage of meeting the 

 mineral coal for reheating, showing that charcoal iron to a certain ex- 

 tent can be made with advantage in New- York city. This estimate 

 it will be seen leaves out of view the inexhaustible supplies of 

 wood for charcoal from the mountain ranges, and rocky hills of the 

 Atlantic slope, and the vast primeval forests of northern New- York. 

 The fact is thus made plain to all minds, that in our own State we 

 have an abundant supply of wood for iron making for centuries to 

 come, and not exceeded by the most favored countries of Europe. 

 We will here give an estimate for the manufacture of charcoal, say 

 in Rockland Co. 



Outlay for charcoal works. 



3,000 acres woodland, at $ 10, $30,000 



13 coaling kilns, 21 feet diameter, 12 feet high, at $200, 2,600 



8 wagons and harness complete, at $200, - 1,600 



25 horses, (or mules in part) at $80, 2,000 



Store, stables, shanties, and smith shop, - - 3,000 



Tools and other contingencies, 800 



Total, $40,000 



Remarks. — One kiln will contain 20 cords of wood, and make 

 1000 bushels of coal every two weeks, there being 13 kilns, one is 

 supernumerary — changing or being discharged, eight -men being al- 

 lowed for filling and clearing a kiln per day, and four men to look 

 to the burning, day and night. 



