Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1877-11-29
Salt.

Salt exists in almost all countries
either in masses of what is called rock
salt or. being washed by the rains, OF
liberated through the action of the ele-
ments, is held in solution and carried
toward the ocean or, percolating the
soil, is found in what are termed salt
springs. The sea, as many believe, de-
ponds for its sadness on the rivers and
streams which are constantly washing
the salt into it. It's supply seems mex
haustible. The strata of solid rock-salt
at the mines in Poland is so thick that
though it has been mined for centuries,
it has not yet been bored through. Near
Abingdon, in Virginia, while boring for
water, salt rock was found two hundred
and thirty feet below the surface, and
was penetrated by boring one hundred
and sixty-siX feet without being passed
through. Texas has a vast bed of pure
salt lying near the surface. Santo
Domingo has mountain of solid
rock-salt. Both these were, probably.
III remote times, the beds of ancient
seas.
Salt springs abound in the United
States, and the manufacture of salt is
carried on extensively in various local.
ties. The works near Syracuse, in New
York, are the most extensive, and pro.
duce annually about six millions OF
bushels. Next to these in importance
are the works at Kanawha, in Virginia
which produce nearly two millions OF
bushels annually. Within few years
a sait-spring has been discovered al
Grand Rapids, Michigan, six hundred
and sixty feet below the surface. The
place is located on the Grand River
about forty miles from Lake Michigan
Seventy gallons of water yield bushe
of salt, or about twelve ounces to the
gallon. The quantity of salt found in
the waters of the different springs differs
materially, and the test of water from
the same spring is found to differ at va
rious times, probably owing to rains and
other causes.
While ordinary sea water yields less
than three ounces, and the springs at
st. Catharine's, in Upper Canada, less
than eight ounces, water has been OBJ
tanned at the Onondaga Salines yielding
thirty ounces of salt to the gallon and
at the springs in Virginia fifty ounces,
or water eighteen gallons of which will
produce a bushel of salt. At Boon's
Lick, in Missouri, four hundred and fifty
gallons of water are required to produce
one bushel of salt.
Some of the salt-springs in England
are remarkable for the strength and
purity of their waters. Droitwich, in
Worcestershire, furnished salt from its
brine-springs in the time of the Roman
occupation of Britain. The brine con-
tains one-quarter Of its weight in pure
salt, which is now exported to all parts
of the world.
The consumption of English salt in
the United States is very large, and is
constantly increasing. Nearly all the
salt manufactured in this country con-
tains a small quantity of lime, besides
traces of other impurities, which Sc
riously impair its preserving qualities,
and render it entirely Objectionable for
certain uses as, for instance, in butter
making. 1t is well known to expe-
rienced persons that good butter cannot
be made and preserved by the use of
domestic salt, and it is an undoubted
fact that much of the poor butter an
uually sold in New York market at half
price would have been of the best had
it been properly made with strictly
pure salt.