26 



BOARD OP AGRICULTURE. 



the finer salt crystals are removed by means of a screen from 

 the coarser portion, which renders the latter still more accept- 

 able to the meat-packer. The commercial brand of a coarse 

 salt is by no means a sufficient title, as a general rule, for its 

 particular fitness, for no kind of salt in our markets is so inde- 

 pendent in its good composition, from the nature of the saline 

 solution or brine, which has been turned to account for its 

 manufacture, as the coarse qualities. How much the mode 

 of manufacture, and its careful working makes itself felt in that 

 direction, is best illustrated by the fact that the oceanic water, 

 which does not show any particular difference in its chemical 

 composition, and which at the same time must be considered 

 a very inferior saline solution or brine, as far as its com- 

 position is concerned, furnishes us with some of the best 

 and also some of the most inferior articles of coarse salt in our 

 markets. 



To convey some idea about the character of the various 

 brands of coarse salt, which may come under our notice^ I 

 give here some analytical results of my own, with but one ex- 

 ception — the Turk's Island salt. 



For the sake of a due appreciation of these figures, I will add, 

 that the sulphate of lime, within proper limits, must be con- 

 sidered as being the least objectionable foreign admixture of 

 salt, and that the percentage of water (as given) may be looked 

 upon as being here merely accidental ; it ought, for that reason, 

 not to enter into any calculation of comparative merits. 



Chloride of sodium, . 

 Sul|)hate of lime, 

 Chloride of calcium, . 

 Chloride of magnesium, 

 Moisture, . 



95 831 

 0.316 

 3.56 

 0.140 

 3.344 



