294 ASSINNIBOINE AND SASKATCHEWAN EXPEDITION. 



advantage in a country where fuel is scarce and labour 

 dear. 



In the State of New York between 500,000 and 600,000 

 bushels of salt are now made annually by solar evapora- 

 tion. Wooden vats are employed, with movable roofs, so 

 that the brine may be protected at the approach of 

 unfavourable weather. The average daily supply of brine 

 at these works during six months of the year is 2,000,000 

 gallons, and the cost per barrel of 300 lbs. is one dollar. 

 Salt made by the boiling process weighs 56 pounds to the 

 bushel, solar (that made by evaporation) salt 75 pounds. 

 By the boiling process at Onondaga the cast iron kettles, 

 holding from 50 to 70 gallons each, are disposed in double 

 rows above suitable furnaces technically called " blocks." 

 Each block contains from 50 to 70 kettles, and manu- 

 factures during eight months of the year from 20,000 to 

 25,000 bushels of salt. 



In 1800 the number of bushels of salt made at the 

 Onondaga Salt Works was 50,000 ; in 1810, 450,000 

 bushels ; in 1830, 1,435,446 bushels ; in 1840, 2,622,305 

 bushels ; in 1850, 4,268,919 bushels ; in 1857, 4,300,000 

 bushels ; and in 1859, within a fraction of 7,000,000 

 bushels. 



The strength of the brine is measured by a" Salo- 

 meter," whose zero is distilled water, and maximum, water 

 saturated with common salt, which is represented by 100. 

 The brines of Onondaga vary from 76° to 44°. Wells 

 which do not furnish brine above 50° are not considered 

 worth working. 



The sea- water at Nantucket gives a bushel of salt to 

 every 380 gallons ; at the salt springs of Zanesville, Ohio, 

 95 gallons furnish the same quantity of salt, while the old 

 wells of Onondaga yield one bushel from 40 to 45 gallons, 

 and the new wells at Syracuse the same quantity from 30 



