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number of rectangular crystallising !beds. The slevels arei 

 so arranged that the water flows from the first reservoir into 

 the second and from the second into the pans, "being- 1 

 gradually concentrated as it flows from one basin to another. 

 The water from the sea is admitted through a sluice and 

 is thus exposed to evaporation till it forms brine. With this 

 brine the pans are charged to a depth of an inch and a 

 half, and within a few hours, in favourable weather, especially 

 on shallow pans, a layer of crystals is formed, generally 

 about one quarter of an inch in thickness. The salt is< 

 then racked on to ridges and left to dry and the pans are 

 re-charged. Salt is manufactured in the East coast of the 

 Madras Presidency also. 



954. The total production of salt in India is about 

 I million tons. Less than half this quantity is imported 

 chiefly from Great Britain, Germany and Arabia. 



955. As an article of food for man and beast, the value 

 of salt is well known. As a manure, at the ; rate of 2' 

 cwts. per acre, salt has been found useful for the following 

 plants 'Cabbages, cauliflowers, beet, mangold, tomatoes- 

 celery, horse radish, onions, asparagus, cocoanut, date-palm, 

 cashew-nuts, mangoes and bread fruit-tree. In' reclaimed 

 lands in the Sunderbans and elsewhere where the excess 

 of sea-salt is too much for the healthy growth of ordinary 

 crops those just mentioned may be successfully grown pro- 

 vided adequate provision is made for keeping, oujt water 

 from the field during the growth of the crc-ps. : <Paddy j 

 seedlings grown on high land comparatively free from sal t 

 can be successfully transplanted and grown on lands 'con - 

 taining an excess of salt. In certain soils, cereals, tobacco 1 

 and cotton are considerably benefited by salt. Salt 

 should not be applied when seed is germinating, a^ 

 young plants and germinating seed are injured by the 

 application. It may be ploughed in long before sowing or 

 mixed with soil after the plants have grown a bit. It should 



