The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1884-05-21
Cost OF Phosphate Rock.

The Homestead, quoting HE WATCH
MANS statement that phosphate rock does
not cost the makers of fertilizers over SO
per ton, ground, says: Friend Hoskins
is not reliably informed either as to the
prices or the chemistry of fertilizers"
Perhaps not, friend Myrick; perhaps you
are qualified to instruct us. If 80, we
shall be glad to learn of you in regard to
sciences which we began to study before
you were born. A man is never too old
to learn nor too young to teach-jf he
knows. But even the diploma of an agri-
cultural college is not positive proof of
infallibility on this question.
The latest quotations of Carolina rock
give the selling price at Charleston, free
on board, at Sc to $3.50. We do not
know the actual cost of grinding, but do
not think it can be greater than that for
grinding gypsum rock, say So ton.
The Homestead says it is universally
estimated " at SO per ton, and freight from
Charleston at S2.75 to 50. 1t goes on to
instruct us as follows:
"Ground phosphate in large lots costs
$11.50 to $l2 per ton of two thousand
pounds, including bags. The only money
that is made at this price is the mere
return for the labor of grinding. Boston
fertilizer manufacturers do not buy ground
rock; they get the crude rock and grind
it themselves, as they all have facilities
for 80 doing. They also manufacture
their own acid phosphate. Some can
make the latter article cheaper than 9TH
ers on account of improved methods of
manufacturing sulphuric acid. 1t is i'm.
possible to sell acid phosphate, even in
large lots at the factory, at less than $16
per ton of two thousand pounds"
It seems to us that the Homestead
(though mistaken in some of these state
ments) here fully confirms our assertion
that the ground rock cannot cost the fer
tilizer makers over IS ton. There must
be profit on the crude rock put free on
board at SO to $3.50 per ton. This profit,
whatever it may be (and it is probably
not less than 30 SOY, will, with their large
contracts, offset the freight, and set the
ground rock down at their works at even
less than So per ton. OF course the cost,
as well as the quality of the crude rock,
varies, but the fact that such immense
sums are paid for phosphate property "a
$4,000 farm being considered worth $780,.
900 when found to be phosphate ground)
shows that there is big profit to the
makers who own their diggings, as most
of them do. To cap the climax of ignor-
ant assertion Mr.. Myrick says of us
"He has been led astrsy by such empires
as w. A. Ward of the Boston Weekly
Globe" Our readers are aware that Mr.
A. II. Ward became correspondent OF
THE WAToHMAN in consequence of read
ing our articles upon fertilizers printed
some two years ago, in which substan'
TALLY the same views were expressed as
in our more recent articles. We have nc
personal acquaintance with Mr.. Ward
but we tkink we know him better than
the man who does not even know his
name correctly, though he applies to him
saucy epithet. We fear Mr.. Myrick
has a zeal without knowledge, misled by
a too friendly feeling for relatives inter
ested in the fertilizer business. And, by
the way, although he 80 confidently says
"it is impossible to sell acid phosphates
even in large lots al the factory at less than
$40 per two thousand pounds" we have
before us letter from one of the larges,
makers to farmer in Lamoille county
VT, offering to deliver two Thousand
pounds dissolved South Carolina phos
phate for SIG, free on board cars in Bos