1800.] ED 5 IRISH BLEACHING. To the Editor of the Commercial and Agricultural Magazine.

SIR

HE following account of the ſaving at the Iriſh bleach- T fields, by the uſe of /ulphuret of lime, as a ſubſtitute for alkali, would probably be acceptable to ſome of the readers of your Magazine.

The avérage annual importation of barilha into Ireland, for the uſe of the bleachers and ſoap-boilers, during the twelve years immediately preceding the year 1799, was 2523 tons, at about 240 felino a ton, or D 2: TO 2 ON

Of pot and pearl aſhes, the average yearly importation, during the ſame time, and for the ſole uſe of the bleachers, was 2533 tons at about L665 a ton.; Î:‘ 164.645]. os. 90. that the yearly expence for foreign alkali was 265,968!/. 0s.

The ſoap-boilers have conſumed of the barilha,

to the yearly value of- Ï 2 SOOO. TON The bleachers alone bave, therefore, annually conſumed alkali to the value of Î Í AIS, 2004, TOS,

Now, ſixty gallons of the ſolution of ſulphuret of lime, may be prepared at the very ſmall eXxpence of 1s. and Id.

An equal quantity of pot-aſh coſts not leſs than 2s. and 2d.

The coſt of materials to the bleacher, is, therefore, by the preference of the ſulphuret of

lime, reduced to one half leſs, or/ TOTS Se tes

By the preference of the ſulphuret, there will alſo be, in fuel, lime,&c. a ſaving which

may be eſtimated at A 4: 5000!. & Thus the prime coft of the ſulphuret, is vir- tually reduced to Z: 102053 Ss.

Lime 1s ſufficieatly abundant in Ireland. Sul- phur maybe procured from the Copper Mines JOP NICK LaW: Therefore, by the uſe of Sulphuret of lime, inſtead of altali, at the Iriſh Bleachfields ,—there will be ſaved To the import trade of Ireland L ZE5 ZOOL FOr, To the bleachers, the manufacturers, the mer- €hants, and the conſumers of Iriſh linen EE D EL A To the additional excitement of induſtry in the. lime-works andá copper-mines of Ireland, there will be, at the ſame time, contributed. LOTOS: 55, Such are-the effe&s of the application of ſcience to the improvement tof che arts. For all this, the Iriſh nation bave to thank Dr, H1cGINs, A FRIEND TO. THE ARTS;