The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1885-08-12
Something About Salt,


A writer in the New York Tribune
gives the following = interesting and valua-
Die information about one Of the com.
moncst articles of use in the household
salt: "Finc SALT. such as is used in
preserving and favorinS butter and
cheese, for curing meats. and for the
table, is made from pure brine, found in
immense quantities in several parts Of
the world. Probably the best known
salt works are those of Cheshire, near
Liverpool, and Of Syracuse. In both OF
these districts the process of manufac.
turc, while differing somewhat in details,
is essentially the same. The brine, found
from $50 to 400 feet below the surface, is
pumped into vats or cisterns, from which
it passes by different stages into large
iron pans. Here the water is evaroratcd
by boiling, ana the crystals OF salt are
formed. This rcsidum is drawn off into
mods, which arc subjected to high
Temperature in ovens or drying-rOoms.
The cakes are then crushed, and the
refined product of oil this manipulation
is ready for the bags and for the market.
Frequently the salt is si(tcd after the
crushing, to rid it of the coarser parti-
clcs, which are not easily soluble.
The English salt is undoubtedly superior
to the American. They seem to exercise
more care in their work on the other side
and turn out an article that gives better
satisfaction; and VIC are told that the
receipts of English fine salt at the port
of New York alone iE 1884 were not
less than 500, 900 sacks, or 80, 900 tons,
we can form an estimate Of the popu-
larity of the foreign article in this coun-
try. Coarse salt is made by the solar
evaporation Of sea water. The places
chosen for its production arc selected on
account Of the extraordinary saline
strength of the water there. This ex-
trcmc saltncss has been observed in the
West Indies and along the coast and
about the islands of the Mediterranean.
The water is allowed to run into shallow
ponds direct from the ocean, and when a
proper depth has been obtained, gen
orally two or three feat, the entrance to
the pond is closed and the water is evap-
Grated by the sun and winds, and de-
posit of salt is left. 1t requires about
four months to cvaporatc three feet of
water. The salt is then gathered into
piles ready for delivery. Its quality de.
ponds almost entirely upon the caprices
of nature. a dry anu windy season
will produce large and hard
crystals, the most desirable
characteristics Of coarse salt, while if
little wind blows the salt is fine e.grained
and poor. The West India salts are
from Turks Island, Ragged Island, st.
Martins and Curaco's. Trapani, Tor
rcvieja, Cadiz and Lisbon, each furnish
salt of different grades and quality.
There is still another kind of salt, called
rock salt. The name describes it. 1t is
found in Austria, Russia, Algeria, Ire
land, Santo Domingo, England and
Louisiana. In Wieliczka, Austria, the
rock salt is absolutely pure. an analysis
of it showing 100 parts Of chloride of
sodium. The Louisiana salt is also clear
and pure, containing as it does, 9S.Ss
per cent. chloride Of sodium. We put
line salt in cur butter and cheese, pre-.
serving and favoling them: with Cura.
Goa, st. Martin S aud other heavy grained
salts that dissolve slowly, we pack meat
for export. We freeze ice cream with
Turks Island, and salt our car tracks
with Lisbon or Cadiz. The household
uses for salt need not be mentioned in
detail. The finest salt enters into the
preparation of chewing tobacco. Salt
imparts q grateful flavor to nearly every
thing we eat. Without salt everything
is insipid."