Where a permanent reducing plant is to be erected, whatever form of mill may be adopted, it is better for many reasons to use automatic ore feeders. Of these the best two I have met are the "Tulloch" and "Challenge" either of which can be adapted to any mill and both do good work. By their use the reducing capacity of the mill is increased, and the feeding being regular the wear and tear is decreased, while by the regulated feeding of the "pulp" in the battery box or mortar can be maintained at any degree of consistency which may be found desirable, and thus the process of amalgamation will be greatly facilitated. The only objection which can be urged against the automatic feeder is that the steel points of picks, gads, drills, and other tools may be allowed to pass into the mortar or mill, and thus cause considerable wear and tear. This, I think, can be avoided by the adoption of the magnet device, described in "Rules of Thumb." There are many mines where 3 to 4 dwt. of gold cover all the cost, the excess being clear profit. In fact there are mines which with a yield of 1 1/2 to 2 dwt. a ton, and crushing with water power, have actually yielded large profits. On the other hand, mines which have given extraordinary trial crushings have not paid working expenses. Everything depends on favourable local conditions and proper management. Having decided what class of crushing machinery you will adopt, the first point is to fix on the best possible site for its erection. This requires much judgment, as success or failure may largely depend on the position of your machinery. One good rule is to get your crusher as reasonably high as possible, as it is cheaper to pump your feed water a few feet higher so as to get a good clear run for your tailings, and also to give you room to erect secondary treatment appliances, such as concentrators and amalgamators below your copper plates and blanket strakes. Next, and this is most important, see that your foundations are solid and strong. A very large number of the failures of quartz milling plants is due to neglect of this rule. I once knew a genius who erected a 10-Lead mill in a new district, and who adopted the novel idea of placing a "bed log" laterally beneath his stampers. The log was laid in a little cement bed which, when the battery started, was not quite dry. The effect was comical to every one but the unfortunate owners. It was certainly the liveliest, but at the same time one of the most ineffective batteries I have seen.