121 



carelessness in the manufacture. The presence of an undue quantity 

 of moisture, and of certain deliquescent salts, probably constitute the 

 principal grounds of objection. No pains should be spared by the man- 

 ufacturers to ensure the perfect dryness of the salt, before it is put up 

 into barrels. It should be recollected that sometimes the character of 

 the salt is judged of by the use of a single barrel, which may have 

 been carelessly prepared. Perhaps it is the fact that the Onondaga 

 salt is manufactured by so many different individuals, and is wanting 

 in uniformity, that has operated injuriously and caused much of the 

 difficulty. That many of the samples, and especially those obtained 

 by solar evaporation, are among the purest found in market, there can 

 be little doubt. And the statement which has been made that " the 

 Salina salt, after repeated trials, has been entirely thrown aside by the 

 best western butter makers," must have arisen from the fact that there 

 is still a want of due attention on the part of some of the manufac- 

 turers, and that the system of inspection is not so perfect as it should 

 be. 



The Transactions of the American Institute for 1847 - 8, contain a 

 valuable communication from Mr. E. Meriam, who has devoted much 

 time to the study of this important article. His paper embodies much 

 information in regard to the quantity of salt imported into the United 

 States, and manufactured at the most considerable Salines, viz : those 

 of New- York and of Virginia. 



In adverting to the prejudice which has been entertained against 

 American salt, Mr. Meriam exhibits the subject, to which I have re- 

 peatedly directed the attention of the manufacturers, in a striking point 

 of view. The quality of any sample of salt does not so much depend 

 upon the greater prop§rtion of chloride of sodium, (pure salt,) as upon 

 the nature of the other saline matters which are mixed with it. He 

 illustrates this fact by the following statement : "If two parcels of 

 sugar are to be estimated as to their value for family use, one containing 

 85 per cent pure sugar, and 15 per cent pure silica, (sand ;) the other 

 containing 99 per cent pure sugar, and 1 per cent sulphate of iron, 

 (common copperas ;) the injury done in the latter case would be far 

 greater than in the former. The 1 per cent of sulphate of iron would 

 render the sugar unfit for use, while the 15 per cent of silica would 

 merely reduce its value in that proportion. So it is in regard to the 

 samples of salt. A small proportion of the deliquescing chlorides, 

 (chlorides of calcium and magnesium,) by constantly rendering the salt 

 moist, is a most injurious impurity; while sulphate of lime or gypsum, 



