The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1897-12-31

phat mines of South Carolina and
Florida and Tennessee. The crude rock
contains certain percentage OF plos-
phate combined with silica and other
substances. The average mount OF
bone phosphate in the rock is as fol-
lows: South Carolina So pei cent; Flor-
ida rock, 60 per cent; Tennessee rock
20 to Is per cent. The remaining ele-
ments are the silica and other sub
stances that have no value.
The first step towards the manufac-
t,,re of fertilizer is to reduce the rock
to a powder. This is lone by four mills
that run at a rapid rate of speed and
grind the rock to dust. These mills
are situated on the first floor, anc from
them the pulverizer rock is carried IN
elevators to the fourth story into large
mixing tanks or ainalgamators. Inc
next step is to separate the phosphate
from the ~silicia, and this isdone in the
mixing tanks by means OF sulphurlc
acid. When the ground phosphate is
carried by the elevators into the mix
ing tanks, it is there mixed with the
acid, which releases the phosphate from
the other elements of the rock. Here
we have the dissolved acid phosphate
that is now ready for manipulation or
manufacture into the various brands or
fertilizers. This process is carried for
ward in the following manner: From
the mixing tanks on the fourth floor
the acid phosphate is loaded into self
dumping cars that run on a railway
Through the top of the building, nifty
feet above a pit or bin on the first floor,
where the phosphate is stored for use.
when the cars get over the pit they
automatically dump their contents into
the pit and there 1t is allowed to dry
for manipulation into the various
brands of fertilizers. BY manipulation
is meant the mixing of the acid phos-
phate with other fertilizing props rites,
such as potash, salt ammonia b-ood),
dissolved bone, etc.
THE FINISHING PROCESS.
When the acid phosphate in the pit
is sufficiently dry, it is manipulated
according to the formulate for the man
ufacture of the various brands. Each
brand of fertilizer has lis quail
ity, and the quality, of course,
is regulated by the quantity of
ammonia, potash n other fertilizing
properties added to the acid phosphate.
W1hen the fertilizers have gone
through the process of manufacture,
they are shovered from the pit into
screens and disintegrators that run 10y
machinery, and after the Jumps are dis
f~ntegrated, or screened out, the f~ertiliz-
er comes down through spouts and runs
into hoppers n thence into the open
mouths of bags sitting underneath
Them. The bags are sitting on auto
matte cutoff scales, and the
desired number of pounds CT fertilizer
have run into the bags, an attachment
to the scales automatically cuts off the
flow of fertilizer. Thus labor is saved
weighing the fertilizer by hand, and
the possibility of errors is avoided, as
by means of the automatic scales ex-
actly, the same amount OF fertilizer is
Dut into each bag.
AS fast as the bags are flied the busy
force of hands hurl them on truck and
load III EN- int freight cars standing on
the sfde-tracks about ten feet away,
alongside the factory. In the cars the
bags are sewed up and tagged. if nee
essary. The brands of the fertilizer are
shown in the regular printed form on
the side Of the bags.