DROITWICH BRINE.
A correspondent says that the Droitwich brine has for a considerable time been declining in strength; so much so, that constant complaints emanate from the working men that they have considerable difficulty in earning the ordinary wages of labourers; and the coal which is consumed in manufacturing a ton of salt is considerably more than was formerly required. By some of the practical men of the place this deterioration is attributed to the excessive consumption of the last few years, and to the immense quantity that has been wantonly pumped into the river and canal; but the correspondent suggests the probability of the pits being insecure, and in consequence the fresh water mingling with the brine, and thus reducing its natural strength. It has always been an error (according to his opinion) that shafts should be sunk down to the brine, as they enlarge the difficulty of keeping out the water considerably more than the old-fashioned small bore-holes.