256 THE president's address. 



The quantity of China Clay and China Stone raised in Corn- 

 wall and Devon during the year 1874, amounted, according to 

 Hunt's Mineral Statistics, to 226,309 tons, besides more than 

 60,000 tons of ordinary Potters Clay, which was raised chiefly in 

 Devonshire, in the neighbourhood of Bovey Tracey, near Newton 

 Abbot. 



In 1806, one of the largest clay works produced only about 

 300 tons a year, but in 1874 one of the largest works near St. 

 Austell produced 9,000 tons, employing about 30 men. Many 

 works produced 6,000 tons, employing 20 men. 



Uses of China Clay. 



We generally suppose that china clay is only used in the 

 manufacture of Porcelain. This is by no means its sole use ; 

 and it is said that little more than one-third of the clay now 

 produced is thus used. 



Large quantities are used by bleachers for filling up the pores 

 of calicoes as a dressing, and still larger quaatities are iised by 

 paper makers to give body and weight to their paper, especially 

 printing papers. A great deal is used in making alum, sulphate 

 of alumina, and ultramarine. Some is used by photographers, 

 by manufacturing chemists, and colour makers for a great 

 variety of purposes. It is said to have been used to adulterate 

 flour and artificial manures, &c.*' 



This is the proper time to mention a subject which will be 

 brought before us to-day, and which has an immediate bearing 

 on our clay productions. The Rev. C. M. Edward Collins, of 

 Trewardale, has, at much laudable pains, been at work for some 

 time in gathering information which wordd enable him to bring 

 before our Institution a scheme for establishing a manufacture 

 of porcelain and pottery in Cornwall. We have the raw material 

 in abundance, and he argues very naturally why should we not 

 have the artistic manufacture also. However, I understand he 

 has, from circumstances which he could not control, been unable 

 to get together all the information he had hoped to receive 

 before the meeting. Therefore, he trusts, at some future time, 



* I am indebted to the able and elaborate paper on Cbina Clay by Mr. J. H. 

 Collins, for my information and statistics on tbis subject. The production since 

 1809 is given in the following table, which he has compiled from various sources. 



