PRACTICAL PAPERS—PRODUCTION OF IRON. 341 
sumption in France is 60J pounds per head, and in the United 
States not far from 100 pounds per head. If the industry of 
the world were as thoroughly developed as it is in Great Britain 
the consumption of iron would reach nearly 90,000,000 tons 
per annum. If brought to the standard of the United States, 
a little less than 50,000,000 tons per annum would answer; or, 
if to that of France, a little over 80,000,000 tons would be 
required ; figures to be increased further by the steady increase 
of population in the world. 
It will be interesting, therefore, to inquire into the sources 
of future supply possessed by the nations upon whom the 
demand must come. , 
Sweden possesses exhaustless supplies of the very richest 
and best kind of primitive ore, but she has no coal, and a heavy 
expense for transportation must be incurred in bringing coal 
and ore together, and, as a rule, it is found more economical 
to transport the ore to the coal than the coal to the ore. The 
limits of the manufacture of iron bv wood have lon^ since 
been reached, and hence Sweden can only be looked to as a 
source of supply of ore to other countries'possessing mineral 
fuel when their iron mines are too heavily drawn upon. 
In Eussia, also abounding in immeasurable supplies of ore, 
there is a possibility, but not much probability, that mineral 
coal may be developed to an extent sufficient for its own sup¬ 
ply of iron. The production of charcoal iron is also capable 
of some, but not of indefinite, extension. 
The same remark applies to Austria and the states of the Zoll- 
verein. In Italy there is no coal and hence its rich ores are in 
the same category as those in Sweden, only far less abundant. 
Algiers abounds in ore, which has to be transported to the 
coal. Spain is rich in ore, and has a carboniferous formation 
on its northern borders, but no attempts have been made to 
render it available for the production of iron. In France the 
present manufacture of iron is only maintained by the impor¬ 
tation of coal to the extent of over 7,000,000 tons, and of 495,- 
000 tons of ore in 1867. 
