The universal reputation of Sweden for its iron and steel, renders the specimens exhibited in support of itscelebrity the more-valuable and attractive. As many as thirty of the exhibitors of these countries havesent specimens of iron and steel, either in a raw or in a manufactured state. One of the causes of thesuperiority of the Swedish iron for conversion into steel appears to be this—that the ore employed is the mag-netic iron ore. But an equally important cause unquestionably lies in the fact, that mineral fuel is notemployed in the process of smelting, the fuel used being charcoal, or wood, or both. Carbon is thus suppliedto the iron in a form much more pure, and possibly much more readily capable of entering into chemical com-bination than in its state as colre or coal. Ihe production of iron being of great importance to the prosperityof the coirntry, it has been the subject of various public enactments, and is carried on under the direct super-intendence and sanction of a Central Board. Licences to manufacture certain quantities of iron annually aregranted, and every furnace and iron forge p'ays an annual duty to the crown. The amount permitted to bomanufactured is regulated according to the means of the iron master to obtain the requisite supply of charcoalwithout public detriment or inconvenience from its consumption. The annual amount of iron made in Sweden is about 90,000 tons, of which about 70,000 are exported. A good collection of ores from Christinehamn andBoforss is exhibited. It includes also specimens of steel and of toughened iron. Other exhibitors showspecimens indicative of the extreme toughness and resistance to fracture communicated to their iron. Thereis also a large collection of cutlery. Of the textile manufactures, are exhibited specimens of flax, silk, andwoollen fabrics and materials. Some models of flowers in wax are also interesting. Specimens of nativesilver from the mines at Kongsberg , in Norway , indicate the possession of an available source of this valuablemetal. Chrome iron ores and the chemical product from them, bichromate of potash, are exhibited. Interestis also excited by some of the homely domestic productions of the Swedish and Norwegian peasantry, whoselong winter nights give time for such occupation, and preclude out-of-door work for more than a few hours.The magnificent vase in the centre avenue, the large cannon, and the specimens of ornamental furniture, &c.,recently arrived, must also attract much attention.—R. E.
1 LaGEBujeem, Peteb, Christinehamn and Boforss,Sweden —Producer and Proprietor.
Specimens of steel-iron and tough-iron:—
Twenty specimens: including the rock in which themine is situated; the leading stone; the mineral inter-mixed with the ores; the ores and the analysis of them,showing their constituent parts, as to quantity and quidity:the pig iron; the scoria; the blooms and the bars. „
The following is a detailed catalogue of the above speci-mens, with notes respecting the method of manufacturing;mineralogical formuke of tho scoria obtained from thehigh furnace, &c.:—
Swedish bar-iron from peroxide of iron, and from mag-netic iron-stone. The ores occur in beds, situated in micaslate ; the rock being gneiss.
1 Mica slate. In the mine called Ilcrr Grufvan of
Dalkarlsberget, is commonly found between this micaslate and the ore, a kind of,
2 Petrosilex. In some places there is a rock betweenthe ore and the petrosilex, consisting of
3 Slaty mica and chlorite, in the Swedish called shot(cleft).
4 Hornblende of the texture of actynolite (Jameson’ssystem of mineralogy), in some places preventing the skolfrom touching the ore. No. 4 occurs also disseminated,as kernels, glandules, kidneys, veins (Swedish kortlar), inthe bed of ore.
5 The ore of Ilerr Grufvan, intermixed with the rock.
6 The ore as used in the high furnace. Magnetic iron-stone, from Herr Grufvan of Dalkarlsberget.