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MANUFACTURE OF SALT AT STATE WORKS-MARL

DEPOSITS, &c.

BY E. MERIAM.

December 29th, 1849.

I but recently returned from a visit to the public salines of Onondaga, having for many years past frequently visited them, making extensive and minute surveys of that district, and connecting these examinations with researches in other sections of the State of New-York, and of the district of territory west of Lake Ontario in the province of Upper Canada.

More than five millions of bushels of salt have been made the present year, and has been sold as low as seven cents and six mills per bushel. About forty gallons of brine make a bushel of salt, and one cord of wood is required for the evaporation of brine for forty bushels. The quantity of wood used daily at these salines during the season for making salt is equal to eight hundred cords. This great consumption of fuel has therefore had the effect of clearing an extensive district of woodland, and bringing it into cultivation.

Mr. Gere, State Superintendent, stated to me when recently at these salines that the average price of salt per barrel, for the season, was about 75 cts., the highest price, 87, the lowest 65 cts.

To evaporate the brine for five millions of bushels of salt,

(the quantity made the last year,) would require 125,000

cords of woods, which at $2.50 per cord, would cost,... $312,500 One million of barrels are required for packing, which at

25 cts. each is......

250,000

The laborers' wages for boiling 5,000,000 bushels, at $1,75

per hundred, is.............

87,500

The State duty of 1 ct. per bushel, is...

50,000

$700,000

1,000,000 barrels of salt, at 75 cts. per barrel, (this being the average price of the season,) is..

750,000

Thus it appears from a receipt of three-fourths of a million of dollars from sales for the year, that the farmers, for the wood; the coopers,

for the barrels; the laborers for the boiling, and the State for the duty, are paid $700,000; leaving but $50,000 per annum as the product of the salines to the manufacturer, out of which is to be paid the expense of kettles, buildings, &c., &c.

This view of the business presents facts that are instructive; for it is the farming interest of a large district around, that derive the greatest benefit by the sale of the wood, the timber for the barrels, and the products of the farm to feed the workmen.

It will be seen by the following estimate, taken from Mr. Gere's letter, that the manufacture of solar salt is the most productive. There are 60 vats to the acre and 50 bushels to the vat, producing 3,000 bushels, (or 600 bbls.,) which, at the average price of 9s. 9d. per barrel, is $731.25.

Interest on cost of vats, at $1,500 per acre, at 7 per cent, is
Estimated expense of labor, &c., &c., at 4 cts. per bushel, on

$105 00

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In the evaporation of brine by the heat of fire, much salt is vitrified, by adhering to the bottom and sides of the iron kettles in which the fine salt is made. This vitrified salt is as valuable to farmers for salting cattle in pastures, as the best solar salt; in fact, it has an advantage over it, for when thrown into pastures it is more durable, not dissolving by rains. This salt caking is also valuable used as manure.

When I visited the salines in the autumn of 1848, I obtained a lump of the salt cake, which had been thrown away by the workmen, brought it with me to the city of New-York, and gave it to Messrs. Boorman, Johnston & Co., who were at that time interested in the soda ash works on the Passaic river, near Newark, New Jersey. They caused an analysis to be made at the works, and this specimen was found to contain ninety-eight per cent. of pure chloride of sodium; a greater proportion of pure salt than is to be found in any salt in our market. The ordinary salt cake doubtless would be less rich than this sample.

Some few years since, a shaft was sunk in the saline district at Lockpit, 40 miles west of Syracuse, to the depth of 400 feet, and brine testing 100° by the salometer, was obtained. About twenty gallons of

this brine produced one bushel (or fifty-six lbs.) of salt. It is of easy evaporation and of rapid crystalization, but, owing to the presence of the muriates of lime and magnesia, it is deliquescent, and in warm, damp weather dissolves. I have no doubt but that it will be found valua ble for agricultural purposes, and can be afforded for 4 cts. per bushel. When the second vein of water was reached in sinking this well or shaft, the commingling of the water from the two veins caused a rapid crystallization of sulphate of lime, in eight sided flattened prisms, perfectly transparent; and so abundant was this formation that the pumps were choked by the rapid accumulation. I calcined some of these crystals, and found their structure was of the most minute lamina, and that by calcination they became opaque. This well at times overflowed and had periods of blowing or roaring, owing to the presence of hydrogen gas.

At the deep boring at Montezuma, (604 feet,) brine was obtained of the same specific gravity as that of the Lockpit well, and containing the same properties. When the greatest depth was reached, the brine rose to and overflowed the surface for a great distance and rapidly crystalized by the heat of the atmosphere.

Drainage of the lowlands west of Utica, Marl, &c.

I have examined an extensive level district of country lying west of Utica, where thousands of acres, containing the best soil, is flooded or saturated with water, which could be easily drained into Lake Ontario by deepening the outlet of Oneida Lake and portions of the beds of the Seneca and Oswego rivers. The expense would be but trifling, compared with the benefits to be secured, and the product of the land thus reclaimed, would in a single year repay the whole expense; in addition to bringing a large district into cultivation, that region of country would be rendered more healthy and the roads made drier and better.

White marl and black alluvial earth are abundant in this level district and near the Erie canal. These earths are sufficient in quantity and quality, to enrich every acre of poor land in the State, and can be transported to the shores of Long Island for two dollars per ton. A ton of this earth or of the marl, is probably as valuable for manure as a ton of leached ashes, and equal to about three New-York carmen's loads. Leached ashes cost the Long Island farmers about one dollar and fifty cents per carman's load, delivered on the shores of that island. The importance of improvement to secure these substances so abundant and so convenient for transportation to market, must be obvious, and should lead to vigorous efforts to secure the accomplishment of the work.

AGRICULTURAL STATISTICS.

Returns from several towns are given, which furnish a statement of the various agricultural productions, the expense of cultivation, the value of the products, and the profits to the farmer. There are also, general statements of the agricultural condition of the counties of Schoharie, Oswego and Yates. These are valuable statements, and an examination of them, in connection with those given in our last volume of Transactions, from Seneca county, must satisfy every one, of the great importance to the agricultural interest, as well as to the interests of the State at large, of having annually a return made of the agricultural and manufacturing products of the State.

This might very easily and satisfactorily be performed, by making it the duty of the assessors at the time of preparing the annual list of taxable property, to ascertain the amount of agricultural and manufactured productions of the town or district, and articles of household manufacture, with the number of animals, &c., to be returned to the clerk of the board of supervisors, and by him transmitted to the State department, or to the Society. The Legislature would thus be furnished annually with reliable data, and prepared for any required action to advance the great producing interests of the State.

Its influence upon the agricultural interest would be most salutary, in stimulating those who are deficient in their methods of cultivation, to efficient efforts to improve, and thus enable them to compete with those more successful. It cannot, we think, be doubted, that this matter is of sufficient importance to secure the attentive consideration of the Legislature.

LIVINGSTON.

Report of the Agricultural condition of the town of Caledonia, Livingston county.—From Hon. A. H. McLean.

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Time of sowing Kinds produced. Profit per acre. or planting.

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