322 
[Assembly 
Wolcott furnace is situated about one mile north of the village, upon 
a small creek which empties into Port Bay. Argillaceous iron occurs 
in the immediate vicinity of the furnace, but is only one foot in thick- 
ness, and intermixed with slate and limestone, on which account it is 
not at present explored. The furnace is supplied from the ore bed of 
Black creek, situated on lot 41 in the eastern part of the town, and six 
miles distant from the furnace. The ore at this bed is three feet in 
thickness and of a good quality. 
After removing about 10 feet of sand and clay, the ore appears, co- 
vered with a layer of slate. There are two layers of the iron, which 
together make a thickness of three feet. Small rounded masses of com- 
pact limestone occur in the iron, and also a peculiar reddish mineral. 
This ore contains many fossils, including species of Producta, and other 
bivalve shells, and remains of Encrinites and Zoophytes. The argilla- 
ceous iron generally constitutes the substance of the fossils, though in 
some instances the calxiareous matter of the shells remain. 
The argillaceous ore makes a hard, brittle iron. When melted with- 
out any flux, it is too sharp, i. e. the cinder is equally as fluid as the 
iron, from which it does not separate, but will sometimes run to the end 
of the mould. The melted mass is too thin, and therefore it is neces- 
sary to mix loam with the ore. At the Wolcott furnace, Mr. Hendrick 
uses one part of sandy loam to two parts of ore, upon which the cinder 
separates, and perfect castings are produced. Mixed with the rock ore, 
or magnetic oxide from Canada, in equal parts, and also in the propor- 
tion of two parts of argillaceous to one of magnetic ore, a softer and 
better iron is produced. 
The argillaceous oxide requires a high heat for melting, and consumes 
one third more charcoal than the harder ores. There is always produc- 
ed considerable carburet of iron in thin bright scales or leaves, exactly 
resembling plumbago- we have also seen this substance formed from the 
magnetic ores of iron at a high heat. 
When casting plough irons, they run them upon a hardener, (which 
is a piece of cold iron) so that for two inches or so on the edge, which 
is liable to wear, the castings are hardened like steel. The effect is, to 
change the usual granular texture of the casting into one that is lamel- 
lar, like Bismuth. This difference is perceptible, and the line of demark- 
ation is also very evident when the casting is broken. 
