machine, are placed horizontally on
shelves, which rise one above another to any convenient height, on
which the tiles are dried by means of heated flues which traverse
the sheds where the work is carried on; or they are allowed to dry
without artificial heat. I prefer the tiles prepared by the latter
method, as, if sufficient time be given them to be well dried, they
will burn more equally, and be more durable. The tiles will flatten
more or less for the first day or two on the shelves, after which
they are _rolled_. This is done by boys (who are provided with
pieces of wood of a diameter equal to the bore of the tile when
made), who very soon learn to get over a large number daily. The
"roller" should have a shouldered handle attached, the whole
thickness of which should not be greater than that of the tile. The
_shoulder_ is necessary to make the _ends_ of the tiles even, that
there may be no _very open_ joints when they are placed in a drain.
Once rolled, the tiles are not likely to flatten again, if the
operation be performed at the proper time.

As good tiles as I ever saw were dried in a different way, and not
rolled at all. As they were taken from the machine--six at a
time--each carrier passed off with his tray, and placed them _on
end_ carefully, upon an _even floor_. When five or six rows of
tiles were thus placed, the whole length of the drying-house, a
board was set on edge to keep them from falling to one side; then
followed five or six other rows of tiles, and so on, till the
drying-ground was filled.

This was the plan adopted in a tilery near Dublin, some years ago.
It is only a few days since I examined some of the tiles made at
these works, which had been taken from a drain, where they had been
in use for nine years; and the _clear ringing sound_ produced by
striking them against each other, showed what little effect that
length of time produced upon them, and how well they had been
manufactured.

_Cost of Tiles._ We have recently paid at the works--

For 1-1/2 inch pipes 17s. 6d. per thousand.
" 2 " 25s. "
" 3 " 45s. "

Each tile one foot in length, and the one and one-half-inch pipes
weighing 16 cwt. per thousand.

One of the great difficulties in con