32 
[Assembly 
ing it to fall in small streams through faggots of wood arranged across 
each other, or through a collection of ropes stretched perpendicularly. 
Ey these arrangements the brine is divided, and presenting a larger sur- 
face, evaporation is facilitated, and the brine collected in the vessels be- 
lov^ is much stronger than that which was pumped up. This contri- 
vance is extensively adopted in Lombardy, Saxony, Bavaria and France.* 
To show the advantage which may be gained in this way, it may be 
stated that sea water has its density increased from 1.010 to about 
1 . 140. Such an increase of strength would be sufficient to bring the 
Salina brine nearly to the point of saturation. 
If some apparatus of the kind now noticed, could be constructed by 
the State at its different reservoirs, and the concentrated brine distri- 
buted to the various salt works, it is scarcely possible to estimate the 
advantage which would result from it. 
Although great improvements have recently been made in every part 
of the manufacture of salt at the Onondaga works, some points are still 
worthy of notice, and especially the construction of the reservoirs at- 
tached to the individual furnaces. These reservoirs are intended to ef- 
fect the precipitation of some of the impurities of the brine either by 
the simple exposure of it to the air, or by the addition of some foreign 
substance which shall facilitate the desired separation. As a free ex- 
posure to the atmosphere favors the concentration of the brine and con- 
sequently the deposition of these impurities, it is obvious that these 
reservoirs should be as large as possible, and should be provided with 
covers which may be used during rainy weather, and thus prevent the 
large admixture of fresh water, which is otherwise unavoidable. 
It is a very common practice at the Onondaga works to add lime to 
the brine contained in the reservoirs, and the same substance is also 
sometimes thrown into the kettles during the boiling of the salt. This 
point among others, was particularly examined by a committee of the 
Legislature in 1825; and I have found no reason to change the opinion 
which I expressed at that time, viz. that the addition of lime, if pro- 
perly made, expedites the process of manufacture and does not in the 
least impair the purity of the salt. I should observe, however, that 
the advantage gained by the use of lime depends upon its purity, and 
upon the time allowed for its precipitation, before the salting commences. 
When added to the salt during the boiling, it impairs its purity and 
* For a particular description of apparatus, &c., see Dumas. Cbimie appliqu^e aux arts. 
Professor Mather has made a similar suggestion for the concentration of sea water on our 
coast. Geological Report for 1837. 
