Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1883-09-20

may DO different It's NfatAk@
beds occupy a. area ~ 2 ~ acres
approximately. A. already aew d AID
defined. Shepherd 'pnla aown the
area which may be prohlaA|Y worked
AZ 10000 acres only. II AaFdly 10
be- doubted this i too low = esiimate,
bat must add that Prol Shepherd
is an able man who has n isss bis oh.
seryations on the spot. 80 lIis con.
clnsions are 10 be viewed lhe light
Of those facts. II would gain In
this place 70 speculate upoa ~ origin
Of these great beds. Tie 8aserial is
obviously Of animal oFigin s. many
places composed in great - of fossil
bones and teeth Of great NhNl and
reptiles How caFnn The aona
I nulsitB8hs u grsA bsAsEs % dc in
those places in ages past It Is not for
man 10 know; il Is for man 10 gather
those bones together and manure ais
crops with them.
In some places the original form Of
those remains has been lost and they
are now compacted into nodnlar beds,
az it were compact stony floors, miles
10 extent. varying from 10 10 so inches
thick. The nodules vary in size from
a few lines 10 several feet in diane
ter. The deposits extend under the
river beds and even mbes out at sen.
That which is dredged up from the
bottoms ofpublic waters pays a royal
ty to the State Of South Carolina Of
one dollar per ton. Iti harder den
ser. darker in color than the land
rock.
The average analysis ofthese phos-
pilates show from So per cent. to q
per cent. bone phosphate Of lime and
5 per cent. to ii per cent of carbo,
nate of lime. Organic matter and
combined water, and adherent mois.
ture Of each. 2 per cent. to G per
cent. Sand and silica, per cent. TO
IL per cent.
The South Carolina phosphate il
easily ground and bolted either in
the Due mill, which is a centrifugal
apparatus, or between stones; in the
latter case being bolted. The fine
ness Of the product is the test of value,
for Just in proportion as il is fine will
be the facility of its distribution in
the soil and its assimilation By plants.
Mineral phosphates exist in other
parts of the world, and in some places
in vast supply. Very hard crysta-
line phosphates are called apatite,
those less hard phosphorite. The
Bordeaux phosphates Of France are,
according to the best information.
practically worked out. 1Fhe Spanish
phosphates are of enormous extent
and high grade, containing from IS
per cent TO 50 per cent. ofbone phos-
phate. They are remote from. trans
portation, and are hard 10 grind. but
Dues mill and other apparatus will
probably get them into good form,
and an inexpensive railroad will one
day give them cheap transportation.
The German phosphates are Of in
creased Importance since the chemi-
cal view of the non-assimilation of in
soluble phosphates has to be abandon
ed. l hope and believe that the va.
rious European phosphates will soon
be able to exclude the South Carolina
deposits from all foreign markets and
force their consumption at home. /
should gladly hail the day when the
last ton Of them had been sent abroad.
We want every pound Of them here.
Those Of US who have already grey
hairs upon us here and there, may
yet see the dsy when there shall be
one hundred millions Of mouths to fill
in this country. Already England,
Germany and other European States
do make and can make less food than
they consume, and their popnlations
are still increasing. The bread ques-
ton is forging its way steadily to the
front IN humane affairs.
1 The Canada apatite is rich phos-
phate, yielding an average analysis
OF nearly 20 per cent. bone phosphate.
1t contains fouride of calcium, and
cannot be treated with sulphuric acid
without free evolution of hydroAuoric
acid, a poisonous, sufocating corro-
sive, and dangerous pas. Il NAV
prove of value for floats, and, under
a good demand, it may come to yield
$4,000 tons per annum 10 commerce
Phosphatic guanos are found in
divers places. Some ofthese are pull
verulent In form, some are hardened
into stone. All Of them have lost
nearly the whole Of the organic mat
ter and ammoniated salts by leach
ing rains. They retain the insoluble
phosphate mixed with more or less
carbonate Of lime. silica sand and
ether substances Of no value. The
super-phosphates made from this
class of guanos have tendency to re-
main in soft. pasty condition, and
they do not suit manipulators. They
ought to be applied to the land with
out the sulphuric acid treatment.
The success OF the so called Orchilla
guano 50 applied is fact that stands
out against the theory that the use Of
sulphuric acid is necessary. 1t is diff
ficult to obtain exact data about these
deposits, but along the South Ameri-
can west coast are certainly extensive
beds Of this kind In the West Indies
are rock guanos Of great extent, some
Of them containing 50 much phos-
phate Of iron and Alumina as to be Of
Little use for super-phoaphate, such as
Navassa and Rodondo rocks. II re-
j mains 70 be seen how they viii act
when hoated, and especially when
mixed with kainit. lime, etc. ] look