The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1873-01-16

The South Carolina Phosphates.
1t is fortunate for South Carolina that a

The South Carolina PhOsphates.
1t is fortunate for South Carolina that at
period of State bankruptcy and unparalleled
social and political disorganization discovery
should have been made which promises to prove
q source of incalculable wealth and advantage,
not only to the State but also to the entire
South and even to foreign countries. In the
phosphate beds which extend through the
State, almost from one end to the other, there
are found in almost inexhaustible quantities
the finest and richest fertilizing deposits in the
worlc. These deposits are specially adapted
to the dry and arid lands of the State, and con-
vert them from sterility into verdure and beau
ty. The discovery of these phosphates comes
in good time to correct the wretched system OF
agriculture which renders periodic movements
of the population to more fertile soils matter
of necessity. The fertilizers are also specially
adapted to the renovation of the exhausted
cotton lands of the South, and in this respect
alone they will exercise marked and decisive
influence on the future cultivation OF this
staple.
Of course the development of this source of
wealth requires time and capital But the
work of preparing and utilizing the phosphate
beds progresses at rapid rate, and already
A number of fertilizer factories have been To-
catei in the vicinity of Charleston, and they
are all employed to their full capacity. The
phosphates of South Carolina have already be-
come an important feature in commerce, and
of the exports from the port of Charleston the
largest proportion goes to Great Britain
Canada also takes considerable quantity. The
Northern States seem to take very little. But
the trade is rapidly extending throughout the
Soush, and will increase still further in pro-
portion to the development of the railroad sys-
tenn of that section. 1t is found, other things
being equal, that the crop natures at least two
weeks earlier by the use of these fertilizers than
would otherwise be the case; that the chances
of injury by the various vicissitudes OF cater
pillar and weather are very much diminished,
ant. that the yield is increased not less than
twenty per cent With these advantages the
South Carolina phosphates must soon come
into general use in the South. Planters now
possess more means than ever before to pur..
chase the means for improving their crops, and
are finding out that nothing pays better or
more surely than money invested in fertilizers.
Some time ago the Legislature of South
Carolina established an inspectorship of fer
tilizers, and the various deposits are now sub
iec.ed to chemical analysis and are duly stamp
ed previous to being placed on the market
This appointment met with considerable oppo-
sit:on on the part of some of the phosphate
companies, but the majority appear to appre-
ciate the advantages to be derived from it. The
exact per centage is given of the various salts
and other elements which constitute perfect
fertilizer, and the mercantile value of the pro-
duct ceases to be matter of conjecture or doubt
to planters and farmers, who can thus obtain
the kinds that are best adapted to their lands.
Heretofore, in the Northern States at least, the
USE of fertilizers has been diminished by frauds
in the quality of the article. 1t is too much
the practice to reduce the proportion of the
costly elements in fertilizers without any cor
pending reduction in prices and farmers pay
out large sums for articles which turn out to be
almost worthless. So far as the inspector of
fertilizers in South Carolina may succeed in
prsaenting frauds of this kind so far will he
contribute to the increase and general use of
the phosphates 1t is not his Office to certify
to the general excellence of the various fertil-
izars, but only to determine the precise quality
or proportion of the ingredients of which they
ale composed. The substance of all CONNER
cial fertilizers consists Of four elements, and
tie proportion in which these are combined by
tie manufacturer constitutes their value to
planters and their adaptabiity to certain lands
or soil.
The business of phosphate digging in South
Carolina is rapidly increasing, and no other
species of mining seems to afford more certain
returns on investments. The present tendency
of mining is towards the laying of extensive
works and the purchase of large quantities of
reserved territory. But there is still an exten-
s:ve business done by small miners. One com
pany mined fifteen thousand tons during the
last wear, and the productions from river de-
posits alone amounted to forty thousand tons
during the last twelve months. 1t is expected
That the entire product of the State will be in
creased not less than forty per cent. during the
next year..
At present, South Carolina enjoys practical
commercial monopoly of the natural phosphate
Deposits of the world. During the last year,
strata of phosphates have been discovered in
Siberia, Austria and France. But they are all
beyond the reach of immediate development,
end are not favorably situated for the transpor-
tation of the products to market In all
these respects the South Carolina rock deposits
enjoy immense advantages They can be
reached, decomposed and manipulated with
economy and facility, and the products can be
easily and cheaply distributed, either by rail-
.oad or water transportation. All that is re-
auired to develop this business into vast pro-
s1ortions is capital, and this deficiency is not
likely to continue long, in view Of the returns
which have been realized from the investments
shat have been already madc.-MeD York B@l-
3etin.
Boys CoMposIrIoN.-Crismus has come
agin. 1t comes onst q year. l like crlsmus.
like to have the. children say "crismus gif''
so early in the morning. | wouldent swap
crismus for the 4th of July, would you? The