With an iron instrument of the shape of a baker's peel, the bailer places each pile on the bed of sand prepared to receive them, taking care not to disturb them, so as to cause any of the pieces to project beyond the rest, as these projecting pieces would, in consequence, be sooner heated, and sustain a severer action of the fire than the others, causing those exposed parts to burn or waste, and the whole mass to be deteriorated in tenacity. The number of piles put into the furnace is regulated by their size, in order that when they are sufficiently heated they may be quickly discharged; and as large heavy bars take longer to roll than small light ones, a less number of large piles are put into a furnace in making large bars, than of small piles in making small bars. Notwithstanding the bailer arranges his batch so that the piles may be completely heated in succession, he exercises his judgment upon them with his eagle-like eyes, as to which bloom is in the most forward state. The bailers' proceedings are likewise regulated by the state of the other balling furnaces of the work, whose products are successively worked off.

If a bailer keeps his iron too long in the furnace, it is thereby rapidly wasted and deteriorated; on the other hand, he must be ready to a minute, that the rolls may be constantly at work, and that the power of the engine may not be wasted. The blooms that are now taken out of these reheating furnaces, are presumed to be of a quality adapted to the manufacture of common bar-iron, of which there is a very extensive variety of forms; but the great bulk consists of three kinds, namely, flat, square, and round, the latter being usually termed bolts. Of the three last-mentioned classes, there are very numerous sizes, as will be seen on reference to the tables subjoined to this article.