Year.     Gross Tons. 
Great Britain........    1881       8,377,364
United States........    1881       4,144,254
Germany..............    1881       2,863,400
France...............    1881       1,866,438
Belgium..............    1881         622,288
Austro-Hungary.......    1880         448,685
Sweden...............    1880         399,628
Luxembourg...........    1881         289,212
Russia...............    1881         231,341
Italy................    1876          76,000
Spain................    1873          73,000
Turkey...............     --           40,000
Japan................    1877          10,000
All other countries..     —­           46,000
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Total............    19,487,610

The first four countries produce 88.4 per cent, of the world’s iron supply; the first two, 64.3 per cent.; the first, 43 per cent.  The chief consumer is the United States, 29 per cent.; next Great Britain, 23 ’4 per cent.; these two using more than half of all.  Cast iron wares do not appear to have been made here in any quantity before 1755; malleable iron castings being introduced about 1811.  The first iron canal boat made its appearance here July 24, 1787.  Iron pots were first tinned in 1779 by Jonathan Taylor’s patented process, but we have no date when vessels of iron were first enamelled, though a French method of coating them with glass was introduced in 1850 by Messrs. T.G.  Griffiths and Co.  In 1809, Mr. Benjamin Cook, a well-known local inventor, proposed to use iron for building purposes, more particularly in the shape of joists, rafters, and beams, so as to make fire-proof rooms, walls, and flooring, as well as iron staircases.  This suggestion was a long time before it was adopted, for in many things Cook was far in advance of his age.  Corrugated iron for roofing, &c., came into use in 1832, but it was not till the period of the Australian gold fever—­1852-4—­that there was any great call for iron houses.  The first iron church (made at Smethwick) as well as iron barracks for the mounted police, were sent out there, the price at Melbourne for iron houses being from L70 each.—­See “Trades.”

Iron Bedsteads are said to have been invented by Dr. Church.  Metallic bedsteads of many different kinds have been made since then, from the simple iron stretcher to the elaborately guilded couches made for princes and potentates, but the latest novelty in this line is a bedstead of solid silver, lately ordered for one of the Indian Rajahs.

Iron Rods.—­Among the immense number of semi-religious tracts published during the Civil War, one appeared (in 1642) entitled “An Iron Rod for the Naylours and Tradesmen near Birmingham,” by a self-styled prophet, who exhorted his neighbours to amend their lives and give better prices “twopence in the shilling at the least to poor workmen.”  We fancy the poor nailers of the present time would also be glad of an extra twopence.

Jacks.—­Roasting Jacks of some kind or other were doubtless used by our great-great-grandmothers, but their kitchen grates were not supplied with “bottle-jacks” till their fellow-townsman, Mr. Fellowes, of Great Hampton Street, made them in 1796.