The above described samples of salt have been offered of late in our markets as "Dairy Salt" judging from communications received. As the recent introduction into our markets of various brands of salt from new salt works in Western New York imparts a particular interest to the question of what constitutes a good Dairy Salt, a short discussion of that question may not be without interest in connection with the above analyses.

There are three sources of supply for the manufacture of salt, namely, sea water, brines and rock salts. None of them yield by any current mode of manufacture a chemically pure article of sodium chloride; all three may be successfully turned to account for the manufacture of the various brands of salt in our market.

Local circumstances control the selection of the particular source of supply; and as the particular fitness of salt for different domestic applications, as meat-packing, family use and dairy, depends not only on a fairly good chemical composition, but also to a considerable degree on a suitable mechanical condition, it is quite obvious that the selection of the mode of manufacture has to be made with reference to the general character and the quality of the source on hand, and to the kind of salt desired.

Our home manufactured salt, "coarse," "fine" and "dairy salts," has been produced until of late, almost entirely from natural brines, sea-water included. All natural brines contain more or less of foreign, saline admixtures. Most prominent among these are the sulphates of lime and of magnesia and the chlorides of calcium and magnesium.

The general character and the industrial value of different brines, considering concentration equally favorable, depends as a rule not so much on the total amount of foreign saline substances present as on the relative proportion of the above stated foreign admixtures.

The same circumstances apply with equal force to the salt produced. The less chlorides of calcium and of magnesium a salt contains the better will be considered its quality from a commercial standpoint. The presence of sulphate of lime within certain limits, is far less objectionable.

A salt which contains but one-fourth of one per cent. of the chlorides of magnesium and of calcium might prove highly objectionable to the dairyman on account of their unpleasant bitter saline taste:while the sulphate of lime rarely amounts to less than one and onequarter per cent. in the best reputed brands of dairy salts, home and foreign.

A detailed statement of the exact amount of each of the above mentioned foreign saline admixtures is for this reason needed te render a decision possible regarding the relative merits of the various brands of salt offered for sale, as far as a desirable composition is concerned.

The most common cause of injuring the composition of salt for dairy purposes in particular is a too liberal use of lime during its

manufacture, to secure a desirable white color and a fine granulation of the salt produced.

The natural consequence of that course of operation is an alkaline reaction of the salt, a most objectionable quality of a dairy salt-for it hastens on the decomposition of the butter.

The peculiar nature of the products of the dairy, butter and cheese, as well as the unusual pecuniary risks involved in their successful manufacture, renders it necessary that only first class articles of salt should be applied for dairy purposes. The fitness of any of the various brands of salt in our markets for dairy use is not restricted to those obtained from any particular natural source or locality, but depends entirely upon a suitable good chemical composition and a suitable mechanical condition.

A good dairy salt ought to be of a neutral reaction and of a pure saline taste; free from offensive odor and without any stain of color; of a properly reduced size to favor a speedy solution, and what is scarcely of less importance free from colored specks. As the application of dairy salt in form of saturated solutions enables with but little trouble the removal of insoluble foreign admixtures, this mode of using salt in the dairy industries, whenever admissable, deserves commendation.

66

To produce an article of the above description requires an extra exertion on the part of the manufacturer, and necessitates thus additional expenses as compared with the average brands of Common Fine" and the ordinary "coarse or solar salts", neither of which, as a general rule answers to the previous description.

A dairy salt originally good may become objectionable in consequence of a subsequent careless storing amidst strong smelling articles of merchandise, etc., or in barns.

Judging the above samples of "Dairy Salt" by the customary commercial standard of composition previously explained it will be noticed that sample I is preferable to sample II, although its total amount of foreign saline admixture is larger than in samples II and III. The last named sample would rank next if it did not contain some salicylic acid.

None of the above described three samples can claim to rank with the better brands of "Dairy Salt" in our markets.

The presence of an exceptional amount of carbonate of lime in all of them impairs greatly their fitness for dairy purposes. A good salt may not improve materially an otherwise carelessly manufactured butter or cheese, yet a lower grade of fine salt will invariably destroy the keeping quality of a good butter and cheese.

The addition of salicylic acid as a preservative is strongly condemned by good authorities in sanitary matters.

455-457.

I. Made Oct. 5,

1 galls. on 10 or 12

VINEGARS.

Sent on from Prescott, Mass.

1885 from unripe Baldwin apples. Shrinkage per cent.

2

II. Made Oct. 28, 1885 from ripe Baldwin apples. Shrinkage not determined.

III. Made Oct. 28, 1885 from Sweet Apples.

Shrinkage 1 gall.

The corn was raised upon land for several years fertilized by ground bone and muriate of potash, 600 pounds of ground bone and 200 pounds of muriate potash. It was cut Sept. 4th, when the kernels were glazed, yet soft.

Analysis of Green Corn Fodder with reference to Fertilizing

Constituents.

The above corn ensilage was obtained from the green corn fodder previously described (No. 458). The silo was filled with the cut corn fodder and closed without any delay, Sept. 4th, 1886 (see details pp. 60-62 in IV Annual Report); it was reopened for feeding, January 4th, 1887. The record of the maximum thermometer buried in the centre of the silo showed 97° F., indicating but a slight increase in temperature as compared with the temperature on the day when filled. The ensilage was of a very good quality. A comparison with the composition of the green corn fodder which served for its manufacture shows the usual changes noticed in a silo, which has been filled at once and closed carefully without any material delay to prevent a more serious heating up of its contents,-namely a decrease in nitrogenous matter and crude cellulose, and an increase in fatty acids and in soluble non-nitrogenous extract matter. The nutritive ratio of the corn fodder was but slightly altered. A sample of the corn ensilage taken from two feet below the surface near the centre of the silo contained 32.46 parts of dry matter, 0.0185 parts of actual ammonia, and required 0.659 milligrames of sodium oxide for the neutralization of its acids (acetic and lactic acid).

Nutritive Ratio.

The general appearance of the ensilage was good. The small amount of soluble non-nitrogenous matter in presence of a comparatively large amount of crude nitrogenous matter and of crude cellulose seems to indicate a considerable destruction of non-nitrogenous matter (sugar, starch, etc.) during the keeping of the corn in the silo. The composition of this sample of ensilage of sweet corn resembles that obtained from corn in the tassel.

A comparison of the above analysis with some of the analyses of the dry vegetable matter of corn ensilage produced at the Experiment Station during previous years suggests that conclusion.