Three parts of rock salt and one part of fine salt make a very good combination. The fine salt quickly forms a moisture which the hides will absorb, preventing quite a perceptible shrinkage as shown by careful tests. When a pack of hides is taken up the “second salt” is saved and by using one-third new with two-thirds of old salt it can be used over. It will be found that this addition of new salt about makes up for the loss in salt that is dissolved in the pack during the curing process. Salt for the hides should be kept clean. If there is a great deal of manure and dirt mixed with the salt, it discolors the hides, injuring their appearance. When the salt is found to be dirty and out of condition it is advisable to screen it, using a screen same as is used for screening sand. The salt is thrown against the screen, the finer salt will sift through and the coarser salt, dirt, etc., will gather at the bottom of the screen. Salt that has been through the screen will be found comparatively clean and ready for use; that which has not passed through should be washed. While this will dissolve a considerable amount of it, it will, at the same time, wash out most of the impurities. If handled in the above manner, a careful workman should be able to salt hides with from thirty-one to thirty-five pounds of salt per hide. =Building of Packs of Hides.=--Packing hides is an operation which should receive close and careful attention. In the building of the pack, the outer edges should be kept high all the way around, so that the center of the pack will hold liquid. When the pack is finished it should be leveled off at the top so that it will be as near even as possible. The natural moisture in the hides, together with the salt, will form a liquor which the hides absorb, and if the pack is built slanting, so as to allow the liquid to pass off, it will be found that the hides are continuously drawing on the sides, and when they are taken up the shrinkage from green weights will be considerably in excess of those from packs properly built.