In VOL. I. the editor of this work gave a brief account of the early history of blacksmithing, so far as known, and described a few ancient and many modern tools.
Numerous plans of shops were given with best methods of building chimneys and constructing forges.
This volume opens with a brief treatise on the early history of iron and steel. Artistic iron work is then considered, and the tests employed to show the strength of iron are given.
It was the original intention to compress all the material relating to tools in VOL. I., but this was found to be impracticable without largely increasing the size of the volume, and possibly the price as well. It was deemed best therefore to devote so much of VOL. II., as might be necessary, to the further consideration of tools, and the reader will doubtless agree with us that the space has not been wasted.
Vol. III. will be devoted mainly to the consideration of jobs of work.
THE EDITOR.