18 
per-abundant carbon. The method at present in vogue is 
tedious, and circuitous. The carbon is at first completely- 
removed in making bar iron, and afterwards, there is a cer¬ 
tain quantity re-incorporated in the preparation of steel. 
The above project certainly appears practicable, and de¬ 
serves attention. There are some ores which are peculi¬ 
arly suited for this experiment. 
With the provisions of war which are formed from iron, 
this country is abundantly supplied. At several establish¬ 
ments, cannon, together with balls and shells, are already 
cast, and new ones are continually erecting. Arms are 
manufactured by enterprizing individuals, as also at the na¬ 
tional repositories. The founderies for heavy machinery 
such as is used in mills, steam boats, &c. deserve distin¬ 
guished notice. 
Among the various compounds of iron, there are some 
which deserve attention from their extensive employment 
in the arts. Iron pyrites, or sulphuret of iron, is one of 
these. From it the sulphate of iron , or copper as, an arti¬ 
cle much used in dying, is formed. It is manufactured in 
large quantities in the states of New-Jersey, Tennessee and 
Vermont.! The process by which it is obtained is so sim¬ 
ple, that it requires but little ingenuity and care to prepare 
it pure. The New-Jersey copperas is by many considered 
superior to the imported article.* 
The chromate of iron has been discovered by Mr. Godon 
in the vicinity of the city of Baltimore. By combining the 
chromic acid with lead, a most beautiful pigment of a yel¬ 
low colour is obtained. In this form (chromate of lead) de¬ 
rived from the above mineral, it has several times been 
used by coach painters in Philadelphia and New-York, but 
the small quantities which are found of the chromate of 
t The quantity of copperas annually manufactured in Tenn¬ 
essee is 56,000 lbs.—in Vermont 8000 lbs. Mitchill’s View of 
Amer. Manufactures, in Amer. M. & P. Register, vol. 2, p. 411. 
By calcining copperas to a red heat, the crocus of commerce is 
formed. 
* Pyrites is found in other states, besides those above enumer¬ 
ated, particularly in New-York and Massachusetts. 
