MANUFACTURE OF SALT IN CHESHIRE. 17 



each pan are three or four fires, extending about five feet 

 from the front of the pan. The pans are set upon brick- 

 work ; and the flues are continued under the whole length 

 of the pan, and thence lead to the chimney. Occasionally 

 there is a chimney to each pan ; but more often one chim- 

 ney answers for several pans, as many as sixteen fires often 

 being connected with one chimney. The pans used for 

 boiling the fine salts rarely exceed 33 to 35 feet in length, 

 or the brine could not be kept boiling all over the pan. 

 The surplus heat, which in the coarse-salt pans would be 

 utilized to make salt for another 30 or 40 feet, is passed 

 under what is called the hothouse, where the boiled salt 

 which is made into lumps or loaves is dried. Over this 

 stove is a loft or storing-room, where the lump salt is kept 

 dry and warm. The quantity of fuel consumed in making 

 salt is very large. For making a ton of common coarse 

 salt about 10 cwt. of slack or other cheap fuel is used^ 

 For making a ton of boiled salt about 1 3 cwt. of " burgey " 

 or " through " coal is used. It is found that ordinary 

 slack will not get up and maintain heat enough to keep 

 the pans boiling. 



The number of pans now in existence in the various salt- 

 districts is as follows : — 



Winsford 638 



Northwich 458 (At Droitwich 151 



Middlewich 13 pans.) 



Sandbach 69 



1178 



The quantity of white salt manufactured annually in each 

 district is, in round numbers : — 



Winsford 1,000,000 tons. 



Northwich 600,000 „ 



Middlewich 20,000 „ 



Sandbach 100,000 ,, 



1,720,000 „ 

 SER. III. VOL. VIII. C 



