IRON AND IRON SAND.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XII, Issue 4295, 19 August 1875, Page 1 (Supplement)

IRON AND IRON SAND.

To the Editor of the Herald. Sir, —I -was much surprised in reading aa account of the modus operandi of the iron formation of New Zealand, and the sand that is found on the beach, misnamed iron sand. But in nature there is no such thing aa iron ; and aa steel is only a better quality of iron, and as both ofjthese rust, bo they pass away. But, treating the sand for the purpose of getting iron, is to get rid of the quartz sand, tor if any of that remains in the iron it will be hard and tough, and thereby not workable. So, if our friend's advice of going to America to find out how to spend £300, he will still have to get rid of quartz Band. But he says the iron Band is formed by the action of the sea on the iron stone rocks, thereby accounting for the problem, " such is not true." If he took the trouble of examining the yellow clays, especially after heavy rains, he would find in all the small gutters formed .by rain water tho black iron sand. The rough nail-maker in England- get*. so much metal served to

. him, and lie gets paid only for the amount he retards. He cannot return the .same amount of iron : for this reason, thai in the act of making the iron red-hot it scales, and thereby so much is lost. But some more knowing than the rest pnt sand in the fire, so that he returns more than he receives. But in cast iron it is used for cheap castings or common work, such as stoves, &c. There are a number of amusing and interesting accounts of iron-mastere buying iron and giving more than the market prices. I will instance one case in which an iron-master bought a quantity of cannon balls, and thought that he had made a good bargain. But on smelting them he found that he had all the expenses of carriage, labour, &c., and not anything near so good metal as common pigs. It is true that the iron coming into this country is not so good as that which goes out of it. For instance, the common scrap, or old rusty iron, is so much • — improved, that it makes the best iron that eau be made. If my memory serve 3 me right, an iron-master bought the rails of the Great "Western Kailway, on the condition that he would supply the company with new rails for the old ones, and they accepted it; but, to their sorrow, they were not anything near so good. Thereby tho company lost.—l anj, &c. f C. Hazard, ; Wakefield-street, August 18, .1875. r ,