ON THE MANUFACTURE OF IRON. ~ 763 
that two of these are frequently taken simultaneously to the puddling-mill 
and rolled out by “ doubling”’ into a single bar, of dimensions varying with 
the subsequent destination of the product. 
In the puddling-furnaces different materials are employed in different 
localities for protecting the iron bottoms. In some places the plastic hema- 
tite from Lancashire is the substance used; in others limestone is preferred. 
In most cases, however, “ bulldog,” 7. ¢. calcined mill-furnace scoriz, ground 
and mixed frequently with a small quantity of red ore, is found a good 
covering. This substance is capable of resisting the corroding action of 
puddling pig, which is more rapid than that of refined metal, or a mixture of 
refined metal and pig. 
The qualities of pig iron used in the puddling-furnaces vary with circum- 
stances; for a fibrous quality of bar, No. 4 forge pig gives very satisfactory 
results. A considerable quantity also of white and mottled iron is worked 
up in our forges. 
Finishing mills of great power have been constructed, capable of rolling 
rails, bars, angle and girder iron of any section, and of ene greatest lengths 
produced in this branch of manufacture. Sheets of all kinds and plates of 
the largest dimensions, short of the huge masses of iron now applied to our 
ironclads, are also turned out, of excellent quality. 
Supposing the make of pig iron in the district more immediately connected 
with the Cleveland ironstone field to have been 667,000 tons, it will pro- 
bably have been disposed of as follows :— 
Tons. 
For foundry purposes in the Makes mck ae 2-0» | 150,000 
For malleable iron oes oe 400,000 
Exported elsewhere at ae cee Sor ou 08 |EL9,c00 
otal. wn ae 667,000 
Tn addition to the ironstone and Daher oonaaeeel on ie Ee Sir 
coast, amounting, as we have already seen, to about . ... 1,870,000 
There will have been used in pig and bar iron-works and 
foundries of coal, say _... see si ea wee sss 2,900,000 
Limestone at the blast-furnaces_... eas a one ssa | §00,000 
Total weight of materials... s+ 53270,000 
The capital employed in mines, blast-furnaces, and malleable iron-works 
will be from two to three millions sterling. 
The annual amount of wages for miners, furnace-men, and 
workmen engaged in the mills, forges, &c., say as .. £1,750,000 
The dues paid to the railways for ree on minerals and on 
iron will not be far short of ... : oe ae ws. 500,000 
The activity imparted to our local iron-trade by the recent discovery of the 
Cleveland bed of stone, near Middlesbro’, has few, if any, parallels in the 
commercial history of the kingdom. Fifty years ago Staffordshire and Wales 
had reached great eminence as iron-producing districts. Their powers 
sufficed at that time to supply the chief requirements of our commerce. 
Gradually, as this demand increased, their means of production extended, 
until Neilson’s discovery of the hot-blast enabled the Scotch ironmasters, 
five-and-thirty years ago, to bring their rich black-band into competition 
with the clay ironstone and hematite ores of England. 
Enormous as are the quantities of iron produced by the works of the 
localities just enumerated, it must be remembered that their present condition 
was the growth of a considerable period of time. Ten years, on the other 
