MODES OF MANUFACTURE. 189 



In that year, however, the duty was reduced to one 

 cent, and they now yield a net revenue of about 30,000 

 dollars a-year. But the production has been largely 

 increased, and the State is greatly benefited in other 

 ways by the reduction. About twelve cents a bushel is 

 now the market price of the Syracuse salt. 



The salt is manufactured in three ways : First, by 

 solar evaporation. This is conducted in large wooden 

 vats 18 J feet square, and about 12 inches deep, provided 

 with movable lids, by which they can be easily covered 

 in rainy weather. These vats are arranged in long rows 

 communicating with each, and at different levels, so that 

 the water which is put in at one end can be made to flow 

 forward as its concentration advances. The iron is the 

 first constituent of the water which is deposited ; after that 

 the gypsum, which forms beautiful small crystals on the 

 bottom and sides of the vats ; and then the common salt, in 

 large coarse crystals like those of bay salt — the deli- 

 quescent magnesia and lime salts remaining in the 

 waste mother liquors. 



The second mode is similar to that followed on our 

 coasts in extracting salt from sea-water, by evaporation 

 in large shallow iron pans. The third method is by 

 boiling the water in deep iron pots, or kettles, as they are 

 called, of which forty, built up in two parallel rows, form 

 what is called a block. These kettles are supplied with 

 water from the private cistern of the establishment in 

 which the brine has been purified, by standing some time, 

 or by the addition of quicklime, which carries down the 

 iron, magnesia, and some other impurities. As the water 

 boils away, gypsum first falls in the kettle, and is con- 

 tinually ladled out as it collects at the bottom ; and as the 

 liquor concentrates, the salt falls in the form of a fine 

 white powder, which is lifted out, set to drain, and dried. 

 It Is then ready for market. This is the favourite and 

 quickest mode ; but it makes a less pure salt. About 



