ON lEON. 
185 
Carbon exists in it in every form ; the least in wrought Iron, more 
in Steel, and most in Cast Iron. The applications of Iron are 
constantly extending, and since we are the principal manufacturers, 
our trade increases in the same rapid proportion. 
The value of lion, Steel, and Telegraphic Wire exported in 
1856 was £13,046,183; the value of the same exported in 1870 was 
£23,602,897. This was accompanied by an equal increase in our 
home consumption, our manufacture of Pig Iron increasing from 
3,586,377 tons, value £8,963,942, in 1856, to 5,963,515 tons, 
value £14,908,787, in 1870. 
The Ancient Britons were probably acquainted with the incom- 
plete method of reduction known as the bloomery process. 
Bellows were at first only used to raise the fire. Afterwards 
they were applied during the whole process. The increased heat 
caused by the continuous blast would cause a slight carbonization, 
and necessitate a refinery furnace.- A gradual enlargement and 
heightening of the furnace, by lengthening the time of contact 
between the ore and fuel, would at last produce Cast Iron. This 
valuable property was first applied to gun-founding. In 1581 our 
early Iron trade reached its culminating point ; in that year the 
make was 180,000 tons, and our importation had declined to 
20,000 tons. The rapid destruction of the forests reduced the 
make in 1748 to 17,000 tons, and increased the imports to 50,000 
tons. Pit coal was successfully used at the Coalbrookdale Works 
by Reynold in 1757. In 1760, Dr. Eoebuck, of the Carron 
Works, erected cylinder blast engines, improved by Smeaton. In 
1762, he patented the reverberatory furnace for refining, using coke 
or charcoal with a blast. In 1766, the Cranages improved the 
refinery so as to be able to use raw coal without a blast. In 1783, 
Onions patented the principle of the puddling furnace ; and in 
1784, Cort patented improvements on the puddling furnace and 
the application of grooved rollers for making bars. The applica- 
tion of steam to the blast-engine greatly increased the yield of the 
furnaces. 
In 1828, Neilson patented the hot blast, which was specially 
suited for smelting the black band of Scotland, discovered by 
Mushet in 1801. The railway excitement of 1845 caused a great 
extension of Iron-mining. The Cleveland Beds, developed in 1850, 
assisted to supply the increased demand. Bessemer' s patents 
enabled us to make good steel from our own ores. The latest 
