The facing sand for large castings consists of red sand, road sand, coal dust and horse manure, whereas for smaller work it is of a very much simpler composition, viz., red and black sand only, whilst for core-making a loam of red sand and manure is used; but if the red sand is not so open as usual, a quantity of road sand is mixed in, and riddled according to the nature of the work. Dry sand moulds should be well dried, otherwise they will scab, and for this reason the green sand moulds should not be rammed too hard, consistent with swelling. Gaggers, studs and chaplets are well set, and attention is specially given to venting, accurately illustrated by examples to follow. It is a question in the minds of some foremen, as to whether risers should be open or closed when casting. If they are closed, the iron falling into compressed air as it were, cannot fall so heavily, the metal cannot rise so fast or seethe against the sides of the mould, which will prevent scabbing; but at the same time there should not be any noise created by the escaping gases. This question should also be considered at the time of casting, with the heat of the metal, and whether poured from the bottom or top. In order to facilitate the removal of impurities, skimming gates or cores are sometimes used, or, as in the case of cylinders and other large castings, a large basin is used, which is always filled before the metal is allowed to flow down the leaders, which prevents all dirt and scum from entering the mould. When casting in green sand in the foundry floor, the bottoms are carefully rammed and vented, the surfaces not too hard, as they do not always give the best results, and simply tapping a pattern into loose sand should be watched and condemned. Many eastings of this description have their contour spoiled by an ugly joint, and the best judgment should be exercised in making irregularly parted moulds. If a joint can be made so that the gaggers can he squarely and easily placed, and so rammed with as little sand under the gaggers as possibe, that joint has the best chance of being successfully lifted.

The general arrangement of the foundry is obviously a matter of great importance. It should be spacious and lofty, so that all gases, smoke, steam, etc, which are always generated at casting time, may readily get away; light is also a factor of great moment. Generally, a certain portion of a foundry la exclusively devoted to plate moulding, and is traversed by a light overhead hand-power crane, and the floor is arranged according to the space and quantity of work required, there befog straight runs, each divided by a pavement of cast-iron plates. The divisions should be of sufficient width to accommodate two rows of boxes, with a mound of sand between them, the width corresponding to the class of work to which the space is devoted, such as engine brake blocks, waggon ditto, fire bars, top and front steam chest covers, axle boxes, etc. The moulding boxes, (having the lugs at the ends instead of the sides to economise space), should be well-fitting, the corresponding halves being rammed, and brought together by their pins. The advantages of plate moulding cannot he over-estimated for quality, rapidity of work and cheapness. Wherever there is a repetition of a single article required, it should he put on to a plate pattern, either in iron or brass, and when making the wood pattern for this purpose, it must be remembered that two contractions ore to be allowed for.

Plate work is carried out to such an extent that the patterns may include such articles as flanges of all descriptions, hydraulic or otherwise, tube plugs, coupling rod hushes, brackets, details of the water pick-up and lire-hole door, grids, washers of various descriptions, small grooved wheels, etc., which will be illustrated further on. Economy is derived from the fact that a special class of workmen may be reserved for this class of work; also because the boxes are not brought together until the mould is finished, and the runners are not cut by hand, because they form part of the pattern in the plate. The boxes require to be rammed fairly well, or the outing will swell. The vent wire is not absolutely necessary in all cases, and very few castings are lost from scabbing. It is used for the larger portions of work, such as steam cheat covers, engine brake blocks, &c; but with such work as fire bars, small brake blocks, chairs, etc., it is not as a rule required.

The larger descriptions of moulding, such as foot plates and a variety of general work, should be done in that portion of the shop where there is suitable lifting tackle, and provision should be made for transferring heavy ladles of metal from one portion of the shop to another.

The heaviest portions of dry, green, loam, and open sand moulding should be grouped together, and there should be convenient pits for pipe work, the whole foundry being also supplied with hydraulic jib cranes where necessary. The blower, wheel moulding, and other machines should be placed in the foundry fitting shop, and the fettling shop should immediately adjoin the foundry. All castings pass over the weighing machine to the stores. The entrances to the drying stoves, which are either heated by producer gas or fired, and near which, as far as possible, all the dry sand work is done, are flush with the outer wall in all modern foundries, the stoves themselves being outside. The tapping holes of the cupolas for heavy castings are also flush with this wall, and landers bring the metal into ladles at convenient crane distance from the wall; whereas the tapping holes for shank ladle work are sometimes placed upon the opposite side in the breast, and this is generally found to be very convenient. Arrangements are generally made that all sand, coke and pig, shall be brought up in such a convenient manner that the sand store is immediately adjoining the grinding mill or disintegrator, and the coke and pig in stacks about the cupola, being raised to the charging platform by means of hydraulic hoists, where natural advantages do not admit of this being on a level with the various stacks.