296 Editorial.

agreement of these results with those above mentioned as long ago observed, with iron rails made from phosphorus ores, an agreement practically confirmed by their use on railways.

Iron Mines in Algeria.--Iron mining in Algeria is daily taking a vastly increased importance. The ores are of excellent quality, and are already in great demand. The first mine opened, that of Ain-Mokhra, better known under the name of Mokta-el-Hadid, is developing an unlooked.for richness, the present production, although somewhat interfi~red with by the war, exceeding 80,000 tons a month. To transport the ore to BSne, where it is shipped, eight trains are run. per day, each carrying 200 tons. England and the Netherlands are large purchasers of it, and it has already been shipped in consider- able quantities to this country. Its price averages 27 francs per ton, the cost of transportation into France being 9 L 50e. additional. In 1872, 366,614 tons were mineJ. In the first six months of 1873 the amount taken out was 220,000 tons. In the entire industry of this mine, including the mining proper~ the railroad, the depot at BSne, and the shipping, 1542 workmen are employed, an increase of 878 over the number employed during the previous year. At a dis- tance of 44 kilometers (27 miles) from Serif, on the old road from Bougie, called the Serif post route, occurs the important Djebel mine,

"and near A~'n-Rouah another very rich mine has been opened on the side of the mountain and well explored by means of shafts and gal- leries. The right to work this mine has been accorded by the Gov- ernment to NoBvus, Nicolas & Company, and it is proposed to employ at once 800 miners. The ore will be shipped, at the port of Bougie, direct to all parts of the world.

B a u x i t e and t h e A l u m i n u m Industry.- -Bauxite , a mixed iron and aluminum hydrate, is the best ore of aluminum. It is found at several localities in France. That of Aubagne is not yet devel- oped. That exported from Provence comes from the quarries of Ca- basse, in the Department of Var, and those at the foot of the south- ern waterahed of the Alps in the arrondissement of Taraseon. These latter quarries, however, furnish products rich in iron, generally sili- cious, which are employed mostly for fixing the hearths of iron fur- naces. The •abasse mineral is quite free from silica, and is best suited for the manufacture of aluminum and its salts, and is also largely used for refractory fire bricks. The main uses of the Cabasse bauxite are :