r of better quality.

Sulphur is conveyed to the seaboard by rail, in carts, or on mules or
donkeys. Conveyance by cart, mule, or donkey is only resorted to when
the distance is short or from mines to railroad stations. The tariff
in the latter case is understood to be 1 lire per ton per mile. The
railroad tariff is 0.12 per ton per kilometer; but it is contemplated,
it is understood, to reduce this to 7 centimes in a short time. The
price per ton of sulphur is as follows:

At Porto At At
Grade. Empedocle. Licata. Catania.
Lire. Lire. Lire.
Second best 86.60 87.00 90.70
Second good 84.42 84.50 90.30
Second current 83.90 83.90 88.40
Third best 79.00 79.90 86.90
Third good 77.80 77.80 83.00
Third current 76.80 76.70

Sulphur free on board, brokerage, shipment, export duty, and all other
expenses included, costs 20 lire per ton in excess of the above
prices. Nearly all the sulphur exported from Palermo emanates from the
Lercara mines, in the province of Palermo, the price per ton being as
follows: first quality, 91.60 lire; second quality, 88.40. Sulphur is
usually conveyed in steamers to foreign countries from Sicilian ports.
The average freight per ton to New York is about as follows: From
Palermo, 8.70 lire; from Catania, 13.50 lire; from Girgenti, 16 lire.
An additional charge of 2.50 lire is made when the sulphur may be
destined for other ports in the United States.

Liebig once said that the degree of civilization of a nation and its
wealth could be seen in its consumption of sulphuric acid. Now,
although Italy produces immense quantities of sulphur, it cannot, on
account of the scarcity of fuel, and other obvious reasons perhaps,
compete with certain other countries in the manufacture and
consumption of sulphuric acid.

Sulphur is employed in the manufacture of sulphuric acid, and the
latter serves in the manufacture of sulphate of soda, chloridic acid,
carbonate of soda, azodic acid, ether, stearine candles, purification
of oils in connection with precious metals and electric batteries.
Nordhausen's sulphuric acid is employed in the manufacture of indigo.
Sulphate of soda is employed in the manufacture of artifici