( 93 ) 



XII, — On the Economical Manufaciure of Draining-Tiles and 

 Soles. By Robert Be art, of Godmanchester, Himting- 

 donsliire. 



In writing upon this subject, diliiculiies arise in fonnins: a system 

 generally applicable : if it were only required to meet the wants 

 of one locality, the nature of the clay would point out the peculiar 

 mode of preparing or temperins: required. The expence and 

 process of burning must be regulated by the facility of procur- 

 ing the coals, wood, or peat, made use of; but as my object is more 

 particularly to giye a statement of the system and cost of manu- 

 facturing draining-tiles, and the prices at which tiles haye been 

 sold in this county for the last fiye years, I shall confine myself 

 as much as possible to these objects. The price of furrow drain- 

 ing tiles has fluctuated here from 20^^", to 2'2s. per 1000: and 

 that of soles, or bottom tiles, from Si", to lOs. per 1000 ; 

 at these reduced prices, the consumption of tiles has increased 

 greatly: as a proof of that increased consumption, and of the 

 great quantity manufactured, it was publicly stated at a late meet- 

 ing of agriculturists at Hmitingdon, that one tenant farmer last 

 year consumed fiye hundred and twenty thousand of furroyy 

 draining-tiles. I wish to point out to tile-makers, that whether 

 the making of tiles be performed by machinery or by hand-labour 

 only, they may be made at prices much below what they now cost 

 in many parts of the country, and thus enable the makers so to 

 reduce the price of tiles that the consumption \\*ill augment as it 

 has in this county. Though the profit on a single thousand of 

 tiles will be less, still the quantity they would sell would be so 

 increased that the profits of their works would be larger ; by the 

 introduction of machinery which led to the change of system in 

 this county, a reduction of I5s. per 1000 was effected m one 

 season, and during the last fiye years the number of tile-works 

 has doubled. I will now giye a statement of the cost of manu- 

 facturing by hand, and likeudse by machine, in Huntingdonshii'e, 

 which is as follows : — 





By 

 s. 



hand. 



Bv machine, 





d. 





d. 



Remoying the earth and raising the clay, per 

 thousand, each tile to contain 100 in. cubic 











2 



0 



2 



0 



The clay turning once oyer and coyering dovm 



0 



6 



0 



6 



Grinding and moulding 



4 



6 



3 



0 





1 



0 



0 



0 



Setting and unloading the kiln, burning and 













3 



0 



3 



0 



Cost of fuel, one ton of coals, to burn 3,500 











draining tiles, 13 J inches long, at 2Ss. per ton 



6 



e' 



6 



6 





17 



6 



15 



0 



