Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1877-12-12
SCIENTIFIC.

Production Of Salt in Engldnd.-Of the
many minerals raised in the kingdom
few play more important part, or are
less noticed, than that which Is found
in every household throughout the land
salt. Ii is an essential that we could
not dispense with, not only as culinary
ingredient, but in many other ways.
Our resources, too, are such that they
have not only been fully equal to the
wants Of our own population, but We
have been able to spare yearly from
200, 900 to 250, 600 tons to other countries
that are not so favored as ourselves.
There are districts in many parts of the
country where salt could be met with
were such necessary, for, some time
since, willis: boring near Middles
borough, in the expectation of meeting
with the coal measures, rock salt was
met with at depth OF / 500 feet. AT
the MOira Colliery, near A>hby-de-la-
Couch, in Leicestershire, at dep h of
593 feet, salt water, beautifully clear,
trickles down from the assures where
the coal is being worked. The brine Is
taken TO Ashby, and has been in good
repute for rheumatic and other com.
plants. As to the origin of salt, there
are many theories, but it may be stated
that in nearly all substances wherever
found, it is in the new red sandstone
By many it is believed that the forma-
tions are due TO the evaporation of the
water from inland salt lakes or parts of
the sea severed from the main body of
the ocean by volcanic action, the eva
pOration causing the deposit of the salt
held in solution by the sea. Writing
more recently on the subject of the
great European salt deposits, Mr.. 4
Ward prOpOunds a rather different
theory. He considers that the salt de-
posits owe their origin entirely to the
elevation of the mountain chains with
which they are SO Intimately connected,
during which small valleys and ravines
would be cut off from connection with
the sea by ridges of land, and would
form salt lakes and lagOons. Cheshire
is still the main source from which we
draw our own supplies, and export TO
the United States, Russia and other
countries. There We have had con-
siderable landslips in working 1t, but
there are the red rocks showing keuper
or saliferous mari, with thin beds OF
limestone. and then 200 feet of rock salt.
In Worcestershire, at DrOitwich and
stoke Prior, the salt is made from brine
alone. A large proportion of what is
made at Norwich, Middlewich, and
WinsfOrd, in Cheshire, is sent down
the river Weaver, the quantity ia 1867
having been az, ,l75 tons, aud in 1866 it
had increased 10 lis, 1891 tons. During
the last 20 years, however, the increase
in the production has been of a most
marked character, whilst the price has
gone down very much. In 1855 the salt
raised in the kingdom was 1904, 40
tons, the average price at the works
being about So per ton. In 1875 there
was raised 2,3l6,644 tons OF salt, the
price being barely $500 per ton. The
value OF the salt exported in 1855 was
81, ,73S, $40 and in 1875 il was only $780,
255, when our exports were 9l6, ,46S tons
or nearly as much as the entire produce
of the kingdom in the former year. Our
principal customers include the United
States, British India, British North
America, and Russia. From the fignres
given it will be seen that nearly 40 per
cent OF the salt produced in the kingdom
is exported 20 other countries.-Hining
Journal.