Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1878-10-30
WON ALL THE PRIZES.

We have space here to mention only instance ont of
many The butter saled with Higgins salt took all the pre-
mnnns the fair Of the Northwestern Darymen's As
ISOLATION held In Chicago last These were the Wood
Creamery" of Huntlsy, H., first premium of slOO the
Booth Creamery Of Salem, Wis, second premium OF SIS;
the Houston Creamery" Of Pleasant Prairie, wis.,. third
premium OF $50; and the Booth Dairy" first premium for
dairy butter s5O-leaying only the inferior premiums Of
SIS SIS and $40 for dairy butter to he taken by all the
other brands Of salt combined
II may be interesting to dairymen to know how the two
leading brands-Iiggin and Ashtonsare made aud what
the difference Is between them. We wish had the sa,e
to reprint the letter OF Mr. r. b. Thurber, member
of the Arm of H. X a b. +. 1hurber n Co.. New YORK;.
Aecon Grocer; Int must be- content to give few
from it, After describing the near the salt
works, he says:
Before proceeding to the process of salt
making perhaps ought what salt mine is. In
10th wInsio and Norwich there are found two layers or
tend under great part Of me county Of .S chesne co., he
n i IN gnrece md epo", 90 feet hek Then comes
layer OF rock $50 to 400 feet when the second or lower strata
the upper strata and of better quality being cleaner and
ireer iIo impurities The Quality Of the s 2cs ~ we
found the bottom of the strata In opening salt mine
reached, and then il is worked the as coal mine
The salt rock Is about hard as anthracite coal and is
of salt considerably larger than Lots Vile fancy are let
geneos danger than with coal and these
pillars less frequent than IN any coal mine have ever
being pure dry and cool Ascending again TO the surface
we Witnessed the treatment Of the salt rock. Much OF Thu
shipped when raised from the mine direct TO Den
mark Norway amt sweden (whose customs tariffs dis
crimnate against refined saith where Is refined for use
Some Is crushed raised from the mine aud used
In Its natural state for agricultural and manufacturing
purpose and IA refined and used for various purposes
The best and by far the greater quantity OF salt naufac-
ture In the Cheshire salt District however Is made by
pumping up the water which has come IN contact with the
places. dissolvng the rock and becoming
strongly mpregnled with saline matter. In this way mos.
OF the eAriy and nsoube matter remains below ground
and the s,lt Manufactured turns out pure and white As
he inferred from the above description Of differences
In the qliy of the rock salt the quality OF the brine also
fers, that from the lower strata being gener y the hest
II pumped 10y power Into reservoirs for the double
purpose allowing TO settle and TO have supply IN
of the pump breaking down. From thence II IA run
into iron evtiotng pms, perhaps 2ONl5 feet and Is inches
high; unde iheSe runs furnace ue and In about three
hours 1t begins bol In Il hours much salt has pr
cpated about five tons is usually taken out OF each
pan This Is done with sieve spade" shovel with per-
torated lottom The wet salt is thrown into conica
nous lett To dain one hour and then taken TO the drs
where remains i've OF siA days IN temperature ~
lsO 100 degrees; thence TO the brelk gro broken
he and packed Tor shipment. III Witnessing this APP
pArently simple process tempted To say, Well any
body that" hut closer examination found that
Oi the processes required as much ere, skill ana eA
peiience almost any other branch of business and that
quality OF production depended t, the quality OF the
brine; 2nd Improved appliances and utensils and 3d.
the experience skill devoted 10 the business For
Instance the Ashton and Hggin Works the only ones
using floor Tor dry ing rooms which, although more
Iensive than brick, dry more quickly uniformly and
cletnly They also diffe eft form OF mould from the
oers, and Higgins Works stand pe-eniinent In one ini-
pOrAnt feature, namely having set OF pans Tor giving the
u Inc preliminary heating and Treatment which precipl
taes all sediment and impurities before running into the
has evidence Of the and cleanliness bestowed upon
their prUiuct mould OF salt Is carefully scraped be-
tore reakg to remove amy SCOT OF lrt which may have
settled upon the cSs the best that lie procured,
aud similar items, small and umpOrtan in them
selves. carefully looked atsr aud doubtless In lie
grehte have something TO do with the popularity OF this