The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1888-09-28
VANILLA PHOSPHATES.
BY j. KosT, M. D., LID.

By J. Kosr, M. D., LID.
1t may be well assumed that no result
of the State Geological Survey now in
progress is of greater Importance than
the discovered photphates in Wakulla
county.
In his report last year the State Cecil
ogist gives several analyses Of these phos-
pilates on PIP. %, "a, proving their supe-
rior character as fertilizing material.
On page % he pronounces them quite as
rich as those mined in South Carolina, at
Charleston, whose fame is worldwide.
Soon after this deposit in Wakulla
county was discovered, joint stock COM
pany was formed for mining and manu-
facture. This company has gone into
effect for practical work, and has pro-
cured motive power for their business
and commenced the work of mining.
Twenty tons of the material has been
taken up, and sufficient quantity was
manufactured to afford a practical test Of
its character last season. Some of this
has been tested at the State Agricultural
Farm, and report of it's comparative
value with other popular fertilizers was
published in Bulletin No. 1, page 6, of
the Florida Agricultural Experiment Sta
ton. On page ~ of same, also, the su-
perior character of the Sopchoppy or
Wakulla county phosphates is clearly
specified. Other tests were also made,
and all proved equally satisfactory.
When, therefore, experience in it's use,
and that in the hands Of men whose op-
portunity of thorough trial no one would
question, and when these results CORE
spond with what the official ANALYSIS
proves-as of the highest Importance,
obtains-otr State may be congratulated
with its promise, not only of commercial
wealth, but with what is still better, the
assurance that it's agricultural interests
are immensely enhanced.
One drawback to the development of
the Wakulla phosphates has been the
want of transportation facilities. This is
what retarded the Sopchoppy Phosphate
Company from proceeding at once in the
manufacturing of the fertilizer. But now
this difficulty is to be speedily obviated
by the construction of the Townsville,
Tallahassee & Gulf Railroad, which will
pass through the midst of the phosphate
deposits.
The town of Sopchoppy has been laid
out in regular manner and surveyed
into eligible lots. Improvements are
commenced. A postoftice, store, mill
and other improvements are made, be-
sides what is done by the Phosphate
Company.
The deposit of the phosphates in Wa
kulla county are widely distributed. This
much is known, but it is not yet known
how abundant the material really is, ex-
cept at the place of operation by this
company. There the material exists in
deposit from one to two feet in depth,
consisting of fossil remains and phosphate
rock. The matrix of the fossil deposit,
consisting of clay and sand, contains the
phosphate in such proportion as warrants
its mining jointly with the rock and fos-
sils.
On the grounds owned by this compa-
ny are extensive deposits of shell mari
that contains fossils of divers kinds, as
those of the manatee, mastodon, shark,
&c. This mari, it is purposed by the
company, to be manufactured into fer
tiizer, likewise. One thing that is nota-
BILE in this is that the marls are not gen.
orally phosphate, while those at this local
ity are decidedly so.
The raising of fine poultry has been
tried in the Tallahassee Country and il
q success.
-Messrs. Straiton & Storm, the New
York Wine Merchants, wrote to Mr..
Er,;1o Duhnia tho Tai aha aaoo wina orow.