The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-05-05
PHOSPHATE MEN IN GLOVER.
THE BUSINESS IN BETTER CONDI-
TION THAN F0R YEARS.

aAAh
isfactOry-This In Spite of the
Large Increase in Production in
Recent Years-The worlds De-
mand Has Caught Up with the
supply-Mr. j. VI. Lang Gives Some
Interesting Figures About the
Dusiness-TeRnessee Now "A Large
Producer of PhOsphate-FIOridm
High Grade Land Rock in Chief
Demand Abrond-AbOut 100000
Tons Exported Annually Through
Savannah-The South's Production
of Phosphate About 1 PET 900 Tons
Annually.
The phosphate industry. which for sew
eral years was at a rather low ebb. is now
fiourishing again. Dealers report that
prices are good and the demand Is fully
equal to the supply In fact for the last
few months the supply has hardly been
able to keep pace with the demand, and
practically the entire output of Florida
rock for the year has been sold. Although
phosphate does not figure largely in the
exports from this port, Savannah is one
of the three ports which divide the export
of Florida rock, Fernandina and Tampa
being the other two.
Mr.. ]. NJ. Lang, who does a large phos-
plate business through Savannah, gave a
Morning News reporter an interesting ac-
count of the conditions of the trade yes
terday
THE phosphate business generally is In
a very satisfactory condition." said Mr..
Lang. Although the output promises to be
larger than Tor any previous year prices
are better than for several years past and
the market is generally in healthy con-
dition. For the first time in years the
consumption seems to have caught up with
the production. When the Florida mines
began to be developed eight or nine years
ago the worlds supply of phosphate was
greatly increased so much so in fact that
the market was OVersuppied with the
natural result of low prices. In addition
to the Florida output the phosphate mines
of Algiers are now large producers and
within the last two years Tennessee has
come into the market as a large producer
of phosphate. In spite of these heavy adj
ditions to the supply the market seems to
demand all that can be had, which shows
how the worlds consumption of fertiliz-
ers from this source has grown in recent
years.
The consequence of the large output of
high grade land phosphate has been 20
close up the Canada mines and practically
pun an end TO the French phosphate indus
try, the Mediterranean market being now
largely supplied by the Algerian mines.
1t has also caused a decrease in the con-
sumption of river or pebble phosphate,
which accounts in part for the fact that
the world is now consuming such large
supply of land phosphate from compare
lively new sources.
Nearly the entire output of the Florida
land rock phosphate is exported said Mr..
Lang, the Southern fertilizer factories
using the river phosphate almost entirely.
This is because the land rock, being of
higher grade, can be exported at a less
cost per unit to the foreign consumer than
the river phosphate. Florida and Tonnes
see high grade rock runs from II to so per
cent pure phosphate, while The Carolina
rock averages only So to 60 per cent. High
grade fertilizers are also more in demand
in Europe than in this country, where the
farmers seem TO be satisfied 10 continue
the use of low grade fertilizers"
FLORIDA, South Carolina and Tennessee
are practically the only three phosphate
producing states in this country, ranking
in production in the order named. Flor
ida products annually about 35S.00O tons of
pebble rock and $4,000 tons of land rock.
To be accurate, the total Is ABOUT o04UD
tons. OF the Florida pebble about 10000
tons are used in this country and the rest
is exported. OF the high grade Florida
rock, only ,935 tons were consumed In this
country last year. Tennessee produced last
wear 272OO0 tons and South Carolina 401 600.
A great deal of the Tennessee rock is ex-
ported by way of Pensa cola and some by
way of Charleston. Savannah exports
about 100000 tons annually of Flor
ida rock coming from the territory along
the Plant System north of Gainesville and
Archer and chiefly from Alachua county.
Shipments are made in whole cargoes and
frequently in part cargoes with cotton"
Florida high grade rock is now bringing
at the mines, Mr.. Lang said, about Sc per
ton, pebble rock containing 20 per cent.
phosphate. about SO per ton, and Tennessee
rock about $3.50 per ton, the distance from
the mines to the ports having considerable
TO do with the price 1t costs on an aver
age of $3.50 per Ton to get the phosphate
from the mines to the ports and for ocean
freights from 81 to Sc per ton. The foreign
fertilizer manufacturer has to pay, all
told, about $3.50 per ton for his rock,
With the increa sed demand and prevail
ing good prices, MIR. Lang said, the natu-
raj result will be an increased production
this year. No new phosphate territory has
been discovered. though some new mines
are being worked in old territory in Flor
ida