108 Assembly 



but the best is made from the salsola, at AJicant, Carthagena, and 

 other places on the borders of the Mediterranean Sea. At the above 

 places, as well as at Marseilles in France, I made inquiry relalive to 

 the culture of the plant, incineration of it, in order to produce soda^ 

 and generally the practices attending it until ready for transportation 

 in commerce. The ground is prepared as for a crop of wheat, on 

 dry salt ponds, or on salt marshes, and the seed sown early in the 

 spring ; and in those warm countries, the plants soon spring up, and 

 in about three months will become fit to cut down for use and dried 

 in the manner of hay,' and then tied up in bundles preparatory to 

 burning in pits. The pits are dug in the ground about four feet square, 

 :\iu[ three and a Iralf feet deep. In these pits are placed wood in 

 billets, and set on fire, and partially covered over in order to keep in 

 the heat, and make the pit a sort of kiln or furnace ; when sufficiently 

 hot, the bundles of kali are put one upon another on the fire and 

 burned something like the manner of conducting a coal pit j the 

 barilla then flows out and runs down to the bottom of the pit, until a 

 large quantity may be formed into a solid mass ; when cold, the arti- 

 cle is drilled and broken out in large masses, from fifty to an hundred 

 pounds in weight, or more, (and the less broken the better,) as when 

 more broken, the air sooner causes decomposition and loss of weight. 

 The barilla is of a bluish grey color, and has the caustic taste of pot 

 ash. Matts are prepared, made of a grass called Esparta, in which 

 the commodity is put, after weighing, and made ready for transpor- 

 tation. 



Relative to the culture of this plant, I would further remark, that 

 in its native state, it is of humble growth, of about a foot in height, 

 but in land well tilled, it rises more than double that measure. Like 

 wheat, it is sown broadcast, and pains taken to have good tillage, and 

 prevent weeds causing failure. It was said that the plants made to 

 stand a foot asunder, by hoeing would reward the cost of labor- 

 In France, the following singular fact was stated to me : That on 

 the sea board, it was the practice to prepare the land in all respects 

 as for wheat, and sow that grain and salsola together, in order to 

 guard against failure ; as in the event of a very dry season the wheat 

 would not succeed on the salt land, and in its stead, the salsola 



