Article Nº 3277 Geology and mineralogy Vol. III · p. 400
Salão
Describes salão, a reddish soil formed from decomposed volcanic material, poor for vines but good for potatoes; on Porto Santo its clayey form is used to roof small houses and huts.
A reddish soil formed by the decomposition of volcanic material. It is not suited to growing vines, but potatoes (semilhas, the Madeiran word), etc., thrive in it.
Plant matter is absent from the composition of salão (reddish clay soil of volcanic origin), or present only in very small amounts.
The salão of Porto Santo (‘holy harbour’) is an earth in which aluminium silicates predominate and which, because of its plastic properties, is commonly used to roof small houses and huts.
Places mentioned