The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1884-05-28
SOlubility of South Carolina Phosphate

SOlubility of South Carolina Phosphate.
Notwithstanding our thirty-odd agri-
cultural colleges and a number of indie.
pendent experiment stations Ito say moth
ing of fertilizer makers and other inter-
ested parties), there has not yet been
made in this country any generally known
or reliable and practical field experiments
to test the availability of unacidulated
South Carolina rock as fertilizer. A
long experience has demonstrated that
ground bones are, without any chemical
treatment, entirely available for fertiliza-
ton, and the same is the case with bone
ash (burnt bones). Professor G. P. Will
liams England) is quoted in the Montreal
Journal of Agriculture as saying that by
actual tests the fine ground South Caro-
lima phosphate rock is more soluble in
water than bone-ash, in the proportion of
five and one-half to four. The late DR..
Ravenel of Charleston, South Carolina,
strongly advocated the use of the unacid.
ulated rock, finely ground, as fertilizer,
and experiments are, we believe, on record
indicating its successful use in the south.
Professor Johnson of Connecticut has
repeatedly expressed an opinion that it
would be found valuable as fertilizer,
and though he does not claim to have
made field experiments his opinion is en-
titled to the highest respect in all such
matters. Undoubtedly the very finest
state of division is desirable in the use of
all fertilizing materials of mineral
character, and this division is greatly
aided by the acid treatment. But mechan-
ical division alone, not of very minute
character either, has been found sufficient
in the case of bones; and our own ex-
perience with bone-ash, merely pounded
up on barn-hoor, has been very salts
factory over a course of years.
DR.. Nichols of the Boston Popular
Science Neps is not only chemist, but
farmer of long experience in the use of
fertilizers, and in his last issue he says;
"The term floats has been appli ed
to form of the phosphate rock products
which come from Charleston, South Caro-
lima. The floats are, or should be, the
impalpable dust of the powder rock. In
this form the phosphate rock serves a
very good purpose as fertilizer on most
lands, especially those which are inclined
to be moist, like interval lands. For
corn, wheat, and the grasses, the powder
is excellent, the best resu Its occurring the
second and third years after it is applied"
On the other hand, Mr.. Lockwood My.
rick, graduate of the Massachusetts
Agricultural College, insists in a COM
munication to us that the unacidulated
phosphate rock is practically of no value
as fertilizer, though he admits that there
are no field experiments on record to
prove his statement, which is, therefore,
merely an opinion, likely to be biased by
Mr.. Myrick's position as dealer in acidu-
lated fertilizers. We say this not by any
means as an imputation upon his candor,
but all men are liable to be influenced in
that way, unconsciously. Mr.. Myrick
has promised to use his best efforts to
have careful field experiments made at
the Massachusetts college, under the
supervision of Professor Goessman, to test
the availability of the plain unacidulated
rock in competition with unacidulated
bone, and with both of these after treat.
ment with acid.
Mr.. Myriok's brother is the agricultur a.
editor of our excellent exchange, the
Massachusetts Homestead, of Springfield
He is as earnest as his brother in decry
ing the unacidulated rock, and is equally
without proof to sustain his position. Ye
he is quite candid, too, aud quotes Pro.
lessor johnson as follows:
son land in good condition 1t would
no doubt in many cases be more econo
mical to use per acre one thousand pound
of ground South Carolina rock, contain
ing some two hundred and fifty pounds o
insoluble phosphoric acid, than to appl
four hundred pounds of plain superphos
phate, containing sixty pounds OF solubl
phosphoric acid, both to be had for abou
the same money"
This is exactly the position we hav
taken. We are strongly in favor of usin
the calculated rock (or even acidulate
bone) in preference to such as has bee
merely ground, however fine, provided tn
cost is not advanced equally with or b
yond the increased value. We shout