New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1870-08-16
SALT SUPPLY OF THE SOUTH.
The Chicago Republican says:

Probably the richest and most nonsensi-
cal piece of free-trade bOsh is that which
represents the Southern cotton States as
suffering for supply Of salt to use as ma
nure, and which they can not obtain, owing
to the 'Odious tariff" A few facts will suffi.
GENTLY dispose Of this absurdity.
On Bayou Teche, Louisiana, there is a de-
posit of rock salt, covering hundreds of
acres, of unknown thickness, but worked to
a depth Of about twenty feet, which is quar-
ried like stone into blocks of any size, and
which can not cost two cents bushel to
break up and prepare for delivery on a
steamer. 1t is, in effect. ledge, but slightly
covered with earth, and when that is re-
moved, is solid crystalized mass, entirely
pure. A railway of six or eight miles would
suffice to deliver it on board a boat, as cas-
lily and readily as coal is delivered from the
most open seam worked in the United
States, and at a cost not exceeding one dol
lar per ton. The Teche is navigable at all
seasons about seventy miles. 1t empties
into Atchafalaya or Berwicks Bay, near
Brashear City, and railroad connects that
place with New Orleans, a distance of
eightv-three miles, so that either ships or
cars can be loaded at little cost.
Western Texas is filed with salt basins,
from which the water has evaporated, aud
square miles are covered with LAYERS of
solid salt, from two to four feet in thickness,
which costs only the quarrying and haul
the coast, and the water of the Gulf itself,
which is IA highly concentrated brine, the
chances Of suffering from lack of this ma
terial in the lower States will be apparent
In the Indian territory, the gypsum beds
form q vast geological deposit. A stream
of brine known as Salt Run is formed by a
great number of salt springs, and, ii used ),
would furnish supply for the whole United
States. AS yet, no wells have been struck
and the brine runs to waste, except as the
Indians manufacture small quantities for
their own use. There are also vast saline
deposits in Nebraska, Arkansas and Vir-
ginia, which it is scarcely worth while to
allude to. 1t is just possible that some of
the Southern planters import small quanti-
ties of kelp. or sea-weed, as a manure, on
account of its iodine, soda, potassa, and
perhaps other chemical qualities, but that
they import salt at any price from abroad,
when the home supply is too great for any
market, would be a mystery OF commerce,
and as likely to be true, as that the North
western States carry coal to Pennsylvania.
An immense bed of phosphate of lime has
recently been discovered near Charleston.
South Carolina, and its use, combined with
other material. is likely to dispense largely
with the necessity for guanO. Indeed, the
South lacks no element of wealth or fertil-
ity, and needs only stimulated industry
to supply not only herself. but the balance
of the Union, with an unlimited quantity
of the best of fertilizers. As there is no
tariff at all on dung salt" or that which is
fit only for manure, what terrible sufferings
this revenue law must inflict on cotton
growers! And how distressed for argu-
ments must cause be that can find moth
ing worse to complain about. The planter
must smile at his supposed saltless con-
ditiOn