The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1874-01-14
OUR STATE PEOSPHATES.

OUR STATE PE0SPHATES.
The annual report Of tho State In
spector of phosphates, DR.. Otto A
Moses, addressed to the Governor
has been published, and is an interest
ing document, presenting IN cncoura
:ging view Of progress Of an impor
;lapt branch Of industry-incrcaset
production of phosphate rock, a.
well as an Improvement in the quality
Of the fertilizers manufactured.
The State Inspector, it will be rec
objected, was appointed by Act o.
AMarch: 1872, and was authorized tc
inspect the operations Of all compa
'nies making excavations in the navi
gable streams Of the State, as well rs
/. to test the quality of all commercial
Fertilizers exposed for sale in the
.Statc The various mining companies
.-are required by law to pay license
;each of $500, as well as 4 royalty Of
81 per ton, to the State Government,
for the phosphate rock excavated,
whilst it is made the duty OF all par
tics offering fertilizers for sale to sub
: init d sample to the Inspector for
analysis, who shall brand the result
Of snch analysis upon each package.
According to the report OF the In
spcctor, the increased facilities for
mining, by the use of improved ma
fchinery, must lessen the cost of pro-
duction, and promote the sale OF
larger quantities of the rock, and Il
consequent increase Of revenue to the
State. .....
The amount of rock reported ship
ped during the fiscal year ending
October 1st, 1873, is rs follows:
Marine and River Mining
,.fand Manufacturing Com
pafy................. 22,il0 tons.
C0Osaw Phosphate Mining
Company: 1912 tons.
South Carolina Phosphate
and Mining Company,
say........".. ..."........ 1000 tons.
Iotal........ ................ SO, ,55S tons.
The report states that no new de-
posts able to rival the South Carolina
.phosphates have been. discovered 4;
that the English market, by far the
greatcst in the world, has been Sc
cured ; that tho trade may be consid-
eyed established and permanent.
Tho Inspector brings to tho attcn.
tic1 OF the public the method en-
ployed to exhibit the actual value of
all fertilizers, used in the market.
By & careful comparison Of all, the
important. fertilizers. offered in tue
South Carolina market, he. has de-
-,duced o certain value for the phos-
'phates of lime and ammonia, which
are the important ingredients. Lie
says: -. 81. 49,, -
I. 1"I arrived at this result by making
an estimate Of j; ,..- r..
1st.. The average sale, as ascertain
ed by ne, of the number Of tons sold
by the most important producers.
D.. I'd. The average per cent. Of con-
tents ........ .!.....,,
81. The average net cash price.
The figures differ from those form
erly used as an arbitrary standard in
this country, and which were really
Bipteadcd only for Germany and En-
=: !! ! 4 kHsStQechard and Way; but as
all the facSof natelssalc culation I have
are avsiI;:15st7-ssea any one
who will take the ,rouble to review
them,.l must assume as established
beyond doubt, in each ton (2,0O0
pounds) of fertilizers sold in Charles
ton, each per cent. GO pounds) Of
Of lin.e (undecomposed) is
worth 80 cents; Of decomposcd phos- {
phate Of lime 81 40; of. ammonia, S..
To proceed TO use this information,
let us take hypothetical case. All
fertilizers having the contents plainly
printed on tags attached to each bag,
| take two examples fer illustration, S
numbered ! and 2, as follows:
-. : =. No. /. &C..
of Lime, 25 per cent, :
worth 80 ts.......................S7 ! so
Decomposed Phosphate of Lime, I
10 per cent, worth 81 40............ II 90
3 per cent, worth So. Is 20
Total actual cash value at the
factory, without bags........S3G 50
ILL.,. No 3.
of lime, 10 per cent, c
phosphate OF lime, 25
per cent, worth 81 i0............... So 90 l
per cent, worth So. 20 90
To the uninitiated, these fertilizers g
seem to be about the same in compo-
;ition; but there is difference between T
he above forms Of phosphate Of lime,
since sufficient ground phosphate rock d
10 yield ton Of phosPha:e Of lime q
would cost thirty dollars, ard enough