376 ON THE SALT SPRINGS OF WORCESTERSHIRE. 



salt, a considerable proportion of the salt attaches itself to the 

 pan, and by the influence of the heat it becomes hard and adlieres 

 very closely to the iron plates. This accumulates to such a 

 thickness as to render it necessary to be removed once a week, 

 which is effected by allowing the fires to burn out, and then beating 

 the cake with large hammers. The scale thus breaks up into 

 pieces, varying in size from a foot square and two inches thick, to 

 smaller dimensions. This product is called pan scale or picking, 

 and when broken down to a coarse powder is found to be ex- 

 ceedingly useful as a dressing for light sandy soils. The large 

 masses of pan scale are particularly suited to be laid down in 

 grazing fields for the use of cattle, and its employment is 

 strongly recommended to graziers, as the most beneficial results 

 have been obtained from its use. 



The pans employed in these operations are made of wrought 

 iron plates, joined together by rivetting, and they vary consider- 

 ably in dimensions. Those now in use for making fine salt are 

 usually about 20 feet long by 20 feet wide and one foot deep. A 

 pan of this size yields about 20 tons of salt per week. The pan 

 is fixed in a building suitably arranged for the escape of vapour, 

 and immediately contiguous to this is situated the drying stoves. 

 The fire employed for evaporation is so placed that the smoke 

 flues are passed through the drying stove before arriving at tlie 

 chimney, and in this way sufficient heat is obtained for the 

 drying j)rocess. As the evaporation goes on slowly in making 

 broad salt, more extensive vessels are required to yield a suf- 

 ficient quantity ; some of them are upwards of 100 feet long. 

 I'hese pans at Droitwich are heated by fires, but at Stoke Prior 

 the heat is applied through the medium of steam. The brine in 

 this process is generally kept at a temperature between 160 and 

 170 degrees. The broad salt does not require to be dried in a 

 stove ; it is therefore thrown loose into a warehouse ready for 

 exportation. 



The labour of making salt is usually paid for by contract, at the 

 rate of two shillings or two shillings and sixpence per ton weight. 

 A considerable part of this labour is performed by females, 

 who are said to withstand better the influence of heat in the 

 drying stoves, Mdiere much exerticm is used in moving the blocks 

 of salt into various situations to promote and complete their 

 perfect drying. The temperature of the stoves ranges from 120 

 to 130 degrees. The remuneration obtained by the work-people 

 varies from fifteen to twenty-five shillings per week, according to 

 the situation they occupy, either as contractors for the working of 

 a pan, or labourers employed under the contractors. 



Previous to the year 1823, a duty of £30 per ton weight was 

 charged by the government on all manufactured sajlt. In this 

 year the rate of duty was decreased to £4 per ton, and in 1820 

 it was entirely taken off. The beneficial effect of liberating a 



