IRON ORES. 
497 
STATISTICS relating to the PRODUCTION of the NORTHAMPTONSHIRE 
IRON ORE. 
Year. 
No. of 
Furnaces. 
Average 
in 
Blast. 
Tons. 
Average 
Per-centage 
of Iron. 
Value of the 
Ore at the 
Mine or 
Open Work. 

1882 
26 
15 
1,333,085 
38-00 
172,772 
18S3 
26 
18 
1,290,087 
38-00 
172,615 
1884 
28 
iH 
1,279,783 
36-00 
162,620 
1885 
30 
15| 
1,160,000 
36-00 
147,500 
1886 
31 
iai 
996,440 
36-00 
124,555 
1887 
28 
15 
935,473 
36-00 
116,934 
1888 
30 
14 
1,066,746 
36-00 
120,009 
1889 
24 
16f 
1,257,080 
36'OQ 
157,135 
1890 
24 
14f 
1,278,381 
36-00 
143,818 
1891 
23 
"* 
1,043,541 
36-00 
117,398 
1892 
26 
10 
1,120,365 
36-00 
116,704 
Although a number of Blast-furnaces have in recent years been erected 
in the district, yet originally (as remarked by Prof. Judd) by far the 
larger portion of the ironstone of the Northampton Sand was sent away 
to the coal-bearing districts ; the highly siliceous ore of the oolites being 
found better adapted for smelting in admixture with the calcareo-argil- 
laceous ores of the coal-measures than alone, or with the simple admixture 
of a limestone-flux.* 
The Ironstone raised near Lincoln is conveyed to Frodingham and 
mixed with the Lower Lias ore at that locality. " This admixture of the 
two ores in smelting produces excellent results, for the superabundance of 
lime in the one acts as a flux to the siliceous element of the other."f The 
Greetwell ore yields 33 or 34 per cent, of metallic iron. 
ANALYSES of the NORTHAMPTONSHIRE IRON ORES.J 

A. 
B. 
C. 
D. 
E. 
Peroxide of iron - 
52-20 

38-04 
57-43 
6-14 
Protoxide of iron 
trace. 
33-29 
10-54 

40-93 
Bisulphide of iron 
0-03 
o-:s 
0-13 


* Geol. Rutland, p. 112. See also statistics quoted by Prof. Judd, p. 111. 
t Jukes-Browne, Geol. S.W. Lincolnshire, p. 47 ; and H. B. Woodward, Memoir 
on the Lias of England and Wales, p. 307. 
Percy's Metallurgy ; Iron and Steel, 1864, pp. 208, &c. ; J. D. Kendall, Trans. 
N. of Eng. Inst. of Mining Engineers, vol. xxxv. p. 146 ; G. Maw, Quart. Journ. 
Geol. Soc., vol. xxiv. pp. 395-397 ; Judd, Geology of Rutland, &c., pp. 122, &c. ; 
and Ussher, Geology of Lincoln, p. 37. 
E 75928. 
