82 
EXPOSITION AT VIENNA. 
The manufacture of encaustic tiling was comraenced in 1840 
bj Mr. Herbert Minton, and is now carried on by Mr. Hollins 
in a new establishment, built upon the old site at Stoke-upon- 
Trent. The business has increased enormously. Aside from 
the ordinary dernand for paving tilcs, there is a constantly 
increasing consumption of plain white tiles for stables, scul- 
leries, closets, walls, etc. The plain white, glazed tiles are 
sold at the works as low as 2\d., equal to about five Cents 
each; and, considering how superior they are to any other 
material, perhaps not even excepting marble, for facing walls, 
which it is important to cleanse often, the large consumption is 
not surprising. But the dernand has also increased enormously 
for the encaustic and ornamental tiles, owing not only to the 
greater number exportöd to the United States, Australia and 
other countries, but to the more general appreciation and 
increased use of thein in England. 
The great expansion of the industry required increased 
facilities for the manufacture, and led Mr. Hollins, now the 
chief owner and the manager, to erect new buildings specially 
arranged for the rapid and economical manipulation of the 
large quantities of material. By the courtesy of Mr. Hollins, 
I was allowed to inspect the whole establishment, and to see 
every detail of the manufacture. It may be considered a 
model. The clays are landed at a commodious wharf on one 
side, and the finished goods are delivered on the other side. 
The movement of the materials is in one direction forward from 
the clay heaps through the mixing and moulding rooins, to 
the furnaces, and from the furnaces to the packing rooms, 
without carrying back and forth. The materials are selected 
and combined with great care, so as to insure the greatest 
possible strength and perfection in the product. For the red 
tiles and the buff tiles, clays are obtained in the viciuity, and 
are remarkably well adapted to the purpose. The white body 
is formed of a mixture of the Cornish clays and calcined flint. 
As much care is taken in the preparation as is bestowed upon 
the manufacture of the body for stone-china. The basis of 
the colored enamelled tiles is equally white and strong. 
Skilied artists of reputation are constantly engaged in the 
decoration of slabs and large tiles for special purposes. The 
risk of breakage or distortion of the large slabs in the succes-