SAL 



SAP 



plants which require much soda, or 

 alkali, and grow distant from the sea, 

 are undouliledly benclitcd thereby. 



Salt is of great use in composts 

 with lime, vegetable matter, and 

 earth. If these be kept moist, but 

 sheltered, there is gradually formed 

 tlie carbonate of soda and chloride of 

 calcium, both of which are excellent 

 manures. The heap should be stir- 

 red often, and contain as much lime 

 as salt, with a sufficient (juantity of 

 vegetable matter and earth to keep 

 the whole moist. Or the heap, in- 

 stead of containing salt, may be wa- 

 tered with salt water, or made up 

 with sea-weeds or salt muck. 



Salt, in small (juantities, is also a 

 desirable addition to the farrp-yard 

 manure, and all vegetable composts. 



SALTING MACHINF. " The in- 

 strument resembles a common syr- 

 inge of more than ordinary dimen- 

 sions, and, although not quite so sim- 

 ple in its con-struction, it is intended 

 to be used in ihe same way as the 

 syringe, provided the point or tube 

 be not exposed to the air. The ad- 

 vantages to be derived from the use 

 of the instrument are explained by 

 the fact that a joint of meat may, in 

 the simplest manner, be properly 

 salted in less than ten minutes. The 

 brine is made of the usual ingredients, 

 and after the salt and other substan- 

 ces are completely dissolved, the li- 

 quid is poured into the machine, and 

 the nipple, or tube (the circumfer- 

 ence of which is perforated with 

 three small holes), is inserted into the 

 most solid part of a joint of meat, 

 and the contents are, by a very strong 

 pressure, forced through the fibres 

 until the brine is seen to escape on 

 the surface. For this purpose, a 

 smaller quantity of pickle is used 

 than is employed in the ordinary 

 method of curing meat, and the bone 

 (if there be any) in the centre be- 

 comes thoroughly impregnated with 

 the fluid. By the present mode of 

 salting meat, it is a matter of some 

 difficulty to inject the brine into 

 the innermost part of a large joint, 

 whereas by the process which is 

 adopted in the use of the instrument, 



the size or substance of the meat 

 presents no additional trouble to the 

 operator." 



SALT MARSHES. Marshes 

 washed by sea water ; the herbage 

 is coarse, but often very nutritious, 

 and preferred by cattle. 



SALT OF LEMONS. Binoxalate 

 of potash, used in removing iron 

 mould from linen. 



S.VLTPETKE. See Nitre. 



SALT, SPIRIT OF. Muriatic 

 acid. 



SALTS. Chemical compounds, 

 which are usually (o.xysalts) formed 

 of a base and acid, and possess nei- 

 ther acidity nor alkaline action. Ha- 

 loid salts are those which are binary, 

 containing a metal in combination 

 with an electro-negative element 



SALTWORT. The genus Sali- 

 cornia, which grows on salt marshes : 

 the ashes yield barilla. 



SALVE. An ointment. 



SALVER -SHAPED. Hypocra- 

 teriform. A monopetalous corolla, 

 with a long tube and spreading limb 

 at the top. 



SALVING SHEEP. Anointing 

 them with a mixture of tar and but- 

 ter or lard. See Sheep. 



SAL VOLATILE. Sesquicarbon- 

 ate of ammonia, or smelling salts. 



SA.MARA. An indehiscent, few- 

 celled seed, with an expansion of tis- 

 sue resembling wings, as the pods of 

 the ash and alanthus. 



SAND. Divided silicious matter: 

 it is extremely permeable to water, 

 retains heat well, but is infertile. 

 Sand is much used to improve the 

 texture of stiff clays, but vegetable 

 matter does this better, while it en- 

 riches the soil. 



SANDAL WOOD. Pterocarpus 

 santaihius. Red saunders, a dye 

 wood, but giving fugitive reds. 



SAND BATH. A quantity of sand 

 heated by a flue, and used in the lab- 

 oratory. 



SAND CRACKS. Fissures in the 

 hoofs of horses, from which matter 

 exudes ; it is customary to fire the 

 edges of the wound, dress with hot 

 pitch, and bandage. They produce 

 much lameness. 



683 



