The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1891-11-28
A TALUABLE BOOK.

II N =
The Phosphates Of America-wher
and how they occur; how they are mined
and what they cost, with practical treatisei
on the manufacture of sulphuric acid,
acid phosphate phosphoric acid and con.
centrated superphosp and select
methods of chemical analysis by Francis
Wyatt. Phi. D. PIP. 178; profnsely illus
trated. The Scientific Publishing Com.
pany, New York, publishers. Price 81.
hepublishers have kindly favored
the FLoRDIAN with copy Of this
valuable book, the first and only
work on phosphates ever published.
It will be found Of vast value to
everyone interested in phosphates,
whether prospector, miner, fertilizer
manufacturer, buyer or seller.
The chapter on Florida phosphates
is intensely interesting, and is alone
worth the price Of the book.
DR.. Wyatt, the author, has made
a personal and thorough examina-
tion of the different deposits thus far
found in Florida and gives numerous
illustrations Of the mines he visited.
In commenting upon the future
development Of the Florida finds
thesauthor thus cautions those who
are prone to rush in without first
investigating:
From all that has preceded it win have
probably been gathered that, in our opin-
ION, Florida phosphate mining will prove
extremely profitable to those who pur-
chase and work it's fields with judgment,
but that it will certainly turn ont In the
highest degree disastrous 10 those who
purchase on insufficient or incomplete
examination, and allow themselves to be
led away by their excited first impres-
siOna. sa
DIR. Wyatt gives an excellent de-
scription Of the pebble deposits in
Peace river and then says:
Pit sinking and boring 10 now going on
over On area of many hundreds Of miles,
and. 90 far 40 we have been able 10 ascer-
tain, the prospectors have succeeded in
demonstrating that this section Of Florida
10 virtually underlaid With nodular phos.
phate stratum of q thickness varying from
. few inches 10 30 feet, and covered BY an
overburden that may be fairly averaged at
about 8 feet. -
= - -
The total cost Of raising, washing, dry.
ing, screening and leading on the cars ii
execution Of orders Is variously estimated
at from 81 cents to % per ton; bat from
special information recently afforded TO rs
by one of the largest operators We are ena-
bled to place It at 10 and this, to the
besl OF our knowledge and belief, 10 the
lowest YET recorded in the worlds history
Of phosphate mining.
The author also has this to say OF
Florida phosphates:
The deposits themselves are Of such i'm
mensa extent and the demand for them Il
likely to be 90 great and continuous thai
all Obstacles to their exploitation must be
oil necessity eventually cleared away. Al
thst time the material Of ali grades will
come forward In large quantities, and, "a
its chemical composition 10 very saiisfac.
tory, Il will soon compete fav0rably fo1
superphosphate making with any other
phosphafes now popular with fertilizer
manufacturer.
One Of the most valuable chapters
in the book Is the description Of the
most improved methods Of manufac
turing sulphuric acid.
Another important feature ii
whore DR.. Wyatt speaks Of the IRE
Iquent friction. between buyer and
seller on, account Of varying analy
Ices. TO avoid this he advises ii,
estab lisnment of laboratories 81
|eyery mine, and By following his al
rections every intelligent miner vii
Ind Il easy to put such : Il borator,
into operation and correctly analyx
leach sample taken ont.
& Itis not neco ssary In the pages 3
: scientific Journal - urge the impor
tAioe q thsmical msnures md phos
1 pha}es - the fasnler. z aays tas I'M
gInse tine "A Mining Journal Is n.
sWine this bool sbu D yS /,
81. tntIo III NV AZ 1ra spua
ing .I,o,l
s l,s Qnant n hoeI sollc aoil