CHESHIRE. The most important mine ral productions of this county are fossil or rock-salt, and coal. The rock-salt is obtained near the banks of the Weaver and its tributary streams. It was first discovered near North wish, in 1670, in searching for coal ; it has since been found very abundantly in the townships of Witton, Wincham, Winnington, and Marston, near Northwich. There are salt-works also at Nantwich, Midcllewieb, and Winsford. The salt is of two kinds, the one white and transparent, the other of a reddish brown. The former has been found byH analysis to be an almost pure muriate of soda:1 the latter contains a small portion of oxide of iron, from which its colour is derived.
The principal, salt-works are in the neigh bourhood of Northwich, where there are mines in addition to brine springs. The rock-salt is found from 28 to 48 yards beneath the surface of the earth. The first stratum is from 15 to 25 yards in thickness, extremely solid and hard, and resembling brcotn sugar candy. Many tons at a time are loosened by blasting with gunpowder. The second stratum is of hard stone, from 25 to 35 yards in thickness. The salt lies beneath the stra tum in a bed above 40 yards thick, generally quite white and clear as crystal. The external surface above these strata is of whitish clay and gypsum. The quantity of salt annually taken from the pits around Northwich, amounts to many thousand tons ; besides this quantity of fossil salt, many thousand tons are annually manufactured at the same place from brine springs, which are from 20 to 40 yards in depth.
Coal of a good quality is found abundantly in the north-east part of the county, especially in the townships of Worth and Poynton, where there are very extensive collieries, which supply the manufactories of Stockport. At
Denwell, in the hundred of Wirral, there is also coal. Copper and lead are found at Alderley Edge and the Peckforton Bills ; the former place supplies a considerable quantity of cobalt. There are several quarries of ex cellent freestone in this county,of,which those at Runcorn, Manley, and Great Bebington, are the most important. Limestone is found only at Newbold Astbury. Moweop Hill, or Molecop, which is partly in Staffordshire, has long been famous for its mill stones. Marl is found in almost every part of the county, I and is generally used for manure.
Cheshire is famous for its dairy husbandry. Dairy farms require considerable buildings ; and some have been erected by wealthy pro prietors in the best and most substantial manner. Although butter is made in con siderable quantity, cheese is the main pro duce of these dairies. The making of Che shire cheese is described in another article [C=sE.] Excepting at Stockport, and at other towns which share in the cotton manufacture of the neighbouring county of Lancashire, Cheshire can hardly be termed a manufacturing county. Ship-building, rope-making, sail-making, shot making, and fringe-making, are, to some extent, carried on at Chester, where there are also tan neties,chemical works,soap works,and quarries.