190 REPORT OF THE 



Of the shipments for 1859 and 1860, the following amounts 

 were returned to Michigan: 



1859. I860. 



By Mich. C. R. R , 4,507 bbls. 2,478 bbls. 



By Mich. S. R. R.,-. 5,253 " 2,260 " 



Total, Lesides shipments by lake,. . . 9,760 bbls. 4,738 bbls. 



About one-third of the fine salt blocks at Onondaga, N. Y., 

 are worked with coal, which is furnished from Pennsylvania at 

 $3,00 per ton. The use of coal has reduced the price of hard 

 wood at the works from five and six dollars per cord, to $3 50. 

 The latter sum corresponds to $2 33 for "soft" wood, and $2 92 

 for "mixed" wood. The price of barrels is at present about 

 26 cents. The prime cost of a barrel of salt (280 lbs.) at On 

 ondaga is stated to be 95J cents. At Kanawha it is 87J cents. 



The solar salt manufacture was carried on at Onondaga in 

 1858, by 28 different parties, using an aggregate of 30,786 

 covers, and occupying 8,403,840 square feet, or nearly 193 

 acres of surface. In 1860 the whole number of covers has in- 

 creased to 36,302, occupjnng more than 207 acres of surface. 



The fine salt manufacture was carried on in 1858 by 104 sep- 

 arate parties, who used an aggregate of 312 blocks and 16,434 

 kettles. No additions have been made to the close of 1860. 



The aggregate value of the solar works, at $40 



the cover, is, $1,452,080 



That of the fine salt works at $4,000 the block, is, . . 1,240,000 



Total capital in salt manufacture, $2,692,080 



About 21 per cent, of all the salt manufactured at Onondaga 

 is solar salt. This, it will be seen, requires a larger outlay of 

 capital than the 79 per cent, of fine salt. The cost of manu- 

 facture of the coarse salt is, however, less, so that while one of 

 the elements of the prime cost of coarse salt is greater another 

 is less than the corresponding one for fine salt.* 



The total annual produce of salt in the United Kingdom, is 



• For nearly all my inform ition relative to the salt manufacture at Onondaga, I have 

 dop -nded upon the Annual R sports of the Superintendent, for which I am indebted to Supt. 

 V. \V. Smith, and Prof. Geo. H. Cook. 



