The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1862-12-02
REFINING SEA SALT.

The Columbia Carolinian publishes the 1eiloW-
ing from correspondent:
DEAR SIR: We have fearful scarcity of salt,
not only in our own State, but in all the States Of
our Confederacv; and as the time is rapidly APP
pruaching when we must look about for the means
Of Saving our bacon" trust shall be doing
some service in sending to you for publication a
recipe for purifying salt. Many fears are enter
tanned, and very properly, believe, as TO the pu-
rity of our eoast-made salt That it contains sub
stances specially salts of lime aud nlnyacsia an
tngonstic to the preservation of nntseptc quail
ties Of pure salt, there be but little doubt;
and hence most persons in doubt as to the
TrOprety of using it for the preservation Of their
meat: The process of purify ing it is not very dit
fcult or expensive. | extract from not a very
old (lS44) agricultural work in my possession:
1'Pefning Salt for Butter, Curing Meet, &c.
Would it not be an Improvement in the dOmes-
&c economy Of farmers if they were all to adopt
some simple method of purifying the salt they Use
in curing butter meat. sc? have often thought
that the bad quality of butter is attributable al
most as much TO impurities in the salt as to any
other cause Let any consult 4 practical
chemist, or good chemical book, and he will be
informed that the pureSt salt OF commerce con-
tains small Quantities OF sui phate Of maGnesla and
lime, nitrate of soda aud muriate Of magnesa.
contain the above named impurities. The more
common salt, that generally used in domestic
economy, not only contains these, but other i'm
pulities, in considerable quantities, all of which
calculated to impair the effects of the salt for
the purpose intended A very little trouble and
less expense will enable any farmers wife to ren,
der the salt she uses perfectly pure. In the first
place, put pack Of salt in a large kettle, with
just enough clean rain water to dissolve it; boil it
aud skim OF every particle OF scum that rises to
tie surface. Then dissolve one ounce of carbon
Of soda in four ounces of water, put it in the
kettle and stir it we'll; then boil again for two min
ues, taking uf all the scum that rises then strain
the brine lErCYr several folds oi Camel A con
siderable quantity Of earthly matter will be found
in rhe bottom Of the kettle, and that is the cause
OF the impurty. After this straining, 4 small
quantity Oi muriatic acid may be added to tbs
LrInc to nCutraIize the soda, say half ounce OIL
so; t"en the brine Is To be put back into the ket
tie an" boiled again till it chrysaliie<, or it may
be puC in'o a shallow wooden vessel md the wa.
= ter ryapura:ed in the sun. Billing is the quick
ct H'ethud. As the salt is re- chry.talized
il should he washed by putting it Ia clean has
ket and throwing bucket of perfectly pure water
it aud letting it drain of rapidly; then dry it
In this way, sal; perfectly pure may be obtained
an aware that many people will say that the
process is TOO troublesome. but let me sucest that
every kind of process for all kinds OF objects is
troublesome, and that it is only because this i,
new or never before Practised by them that il p
pears Troublesome. 1t is true that il Is more
Troublesome than it is to take the common salt as
it is and use 1t; but, then, We propose valuable
object, to be obtained by the process Of purifier
ton, that is not attainable from the use Of common
salt II 1t Is Troublesome, it pays we'll for itself in
the Increased excellence of the butter, &c, in
which it is used, 4 high degree of purity NAV
be attained hy the above process even il tho car
bouate of soda aud muratic acid be omitted
though not absolute purity; common salt will be
rendered 10y is much purer than the best rock salt
without the carbonate soda aud the acid D."
10 addition to the above, will here remark. Mr.
Editor, that heard gentleman ono of our best
chemists, day or two since, say that by saturat-
ing water with salt, and With this water washing
impure salt, it would in great measure REMOVE
Its impurities, they being more soluble than pure
salt RespectfuIly. &c
Pendleton, s. C. GEO. SEABORN.