Middletown transcript., 1869-05-01
For the Mddietorn Transcript,
Am Extensive Establishment,

years experience proves the necessity Of
thorough cultivation, and the employment
of concentrated fertilizers, WHICH by their
containing every element of plant food, and
their comparatively low cost, afford ready
means for restoring to the soil those ingre.
dients which have been appropriated by
growing crops. The manufacture of arti-
fetal fertilizers has grown into business
of enormous proportions, and many large
establishments have sprung up all over the
country. which are now busily engaged in
furnishing the spring demand
1t should be matter of pride to Della
ware farmers to know that one of the most
extensive of these manufactures is located
in their own State and that the reputation
of the article prepared stands second to
none of its competitors. Thinking that
some account of this establishment would
interest your agricultural readers we have
taken the trouble to collect some data rcla-
tive to the business of Messrs, Walton.
Whann & Co. manufacturers of the fertili.
ger known as Whann's Raw Bone Super.
phosphate.
The location Of these works is an admir-.
able one for the receipt of the raw materials
and the shipment of the manufactured ar
ticle. They are situated directly on tho
bank of the Christiana River, about half
mile above the city of Wilmington, A fne
wharf $50 #. front. with depth of water
sufficient to float vessels of GOO tons bur.
den affords facilities for the loading aud
discharge Of several oargoes at time. and
at busy seasons of the year, quite an ami
mated scene may be observed. Barques,
brigs, schooners and all descriptions of
smaller craft from various parts of the
world arrive with cargoes of bones. guano.
&c. while in the season for shipping phos-
phate both vessels and the railroad are call
ed upon to carry away the large quantity re-
quired to supply the wants of the farmer.
The lot of ground on which these exten.
sive works are erected. comprises an area Of
800 by $50 feet, and is nearly covered by
buildings. Entering the enclosure from tho
road, attention is at once arrested by tho
immense piles of bones on all sides, Not
only are the large storehouses completely
filled, but the vacant spaces on the lot are
largely occupied by bones which are coll
lected from all parts of the country. The
engine building is prominent feature of
the establishment. In this IL contained an
engine Of eighty horse power, which is fed
by two boilers. The fy.wheel of the en-.
gine is IA feet in diameter and weighs Eve
tons. In this establishment very large
proportion of the labor is performed BY
machinery. The bones are first passed
through crusher Of immense power, by
which they are reduced to fragments suti.
ciently small to allow them to be fed into
the mills. Of the latter there are no less
than six pairs of the best French burr
stones. In these the bones are reduced 10
beautiful condition, and even in this state
they constitute valuable manure. But in
order to render them thoroughly soluble
they are transported by machinery to an
other apartment. where they are dissolved
by sulphuric acid, and then mixed with
guano, potash and soda. After the super.
phosphate has been mixed 1t is in damp,
pasty, and lumpy condition. 1t must then
be dried, again ground, SO as to fit it for
the drill, weighed and bagged, and then it
is ready for the market.
To give nm idea of the magnitude of the
operations conducted by Messrs. Walton,
Whann & Co. it may be stated that tho
amount of superphosphate they are capa.
BILE of producing is 1O, 900 tons per annum.
To do this are required no less than 1000
tons of bones. 1000 tons of guano, and be-
tween 25, 600 and 80, 600 carboys of sui
phuric acid In addition to these ingre.
dients are required nearly 1000 tons of
salts of potash and soda. Of course the
purchase of these materials involves the
investment of large capital and this, we
think, Is the strongest guarantee the far
mer has of the reliability of the phosphate.
1t is the interest of the manufacturers to
produce as valuable fertilizer as combined
capital, skill and science can command,
Were the standard allowed to depreciate,
the demand would at once fall off, and the
loss of the investment would be ruipous,
1t must be obvious that the interest Of the
manufacturer and consumer are here iden-
tical, and that the only true policy for the
manufacturer is to produce such manure,
that the farmer will consider 1t absolutely
necessary for his use.
AS before remarked, the bones of which
Whann's phosphate is largely composed,
are brought from all parts of the country,
From Maine to Texas, and from the val
leys of the Mississippi and Ohio, aud from
Chicago, the metropolis of the North Wost
bones are transported both by rail and by
water to be converted into spperphosphate.
Garages aye likewise impaired from South
America, especially from Buenos Ayres,
where countless herds of cattle are slaugh-
tered merely for their hides and bones.
Farmers who desire to see how thorough
ly good superphosphate is made should ac-
cept the invitation SO freely rendered by
Messrs. Walton. Whann & Go. and visit
their works. Hundreds have already done
so and have been fully impressed with the
manner In which the operations are con-
Quoted. As prominent Delaware insti-
tuition We take pleasure in bringing it to
the nntlna of Earr,,o.r hn.,i., - A