The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1908-03-03
FosFATE INDUSTRY OF FLORIDA
Discovery, History, Analysis, Present
Output and Price Of the States
Most important Product


the State E1nk of Lakeland. and read
before the meeting OF the Florida
Bankers Association. at St. Peters
burg, Fla, r'eb 2ls-. 1865:
Gentlonpn:-IUUr secretary has
hOnorcd M b. requesting that | con-
tribute Il paper on the phosphate in
dustry Of Florida. Owing To cirCun-
stances it has been impossible To- en-
ter into the subject az fully as its
merits justify but / trust that the
points indicated in this Iaper may
prove of interest and value.
To the aiority OF business men. the
term phosphate carries no specific
meaning. We realize in q general way
to the reasons for it's use and value.
most are in ignorance. Crude phOs-
pilates owe their value to their con
tents Of phOsphoric acid. and the price
is based on the percentage of this con-
stituent PhOsphOTic acid is one Of
the essential clements Of plant growth
and immense aggregate quantities are
growth of the crops, only q small per-
centage of which is returned. The re-
moval of this essential element from
the soil causes it's impoverishment and
to maintain the fertility, it must be
returned in the form Of super phOS-
pilates. Crude phosphate, which rep
resents the basis of all commercial
-,
acid in form which is not valuable
as a plant food, but requires chemical
treatment to convert the phOSPhoric
acid into soluble or available form
for plant assimilation and when thus
chemically converted is known as
super phosphate. Hence the manufac
ture of fertilizer and mining Of crude
phosphate are two industries so close
ly allied that the growth Of one must
essentially depend upon the other.
AS the worlds population increases,
and the newer lands become exhaust
ed, intensive fdrming supercedes the
older crude methods, consequently the
tial The demand for phosphates is
increasing annually at the rate Of ten
per cent. Basing the worlds annual
production of crude phosphate at A.
100000 tons, we then have a very
marked increase in demand annually
Of the crude product.
With this general introduction. | will
now proceed to review the Florida
phosphate mining industry, in which
we are all directly interested, as one
| of the chief sources of wealth of our
state.
Florida phosphate, in the form of
river pebble rock phosphate was first
observed in the year 1881. In 1889 a
hard rock phosphate y was developed
near Dunnellon. in Marion county. and
shortly afterwards the land pebble de-
posits Of Polk, DeSotO and Hillsboro
counties were opened up.
| Florida phosphates are classed under
three heads: Hard rock phosphate,
land pebble phosphate and river peb-
bic phosphate.
Hard rock phosphate deposits are
Included in the area beginning near
Fort White and extending in a south
erly direction to Bay City, an approx
innate distance north and south of one
hundred miles, with an average width
Of eight or ten miles. 1t must not be
inferred that this entire area is un-
derlaid with mineral deposits of hard
rock phosphate: far from it; but this
is simply the territory in which the
hard rock occurs. Florida hard rock is
a high grade phosphate, and supplies
fully 80 per cent of the worlds con-
sumption of high grade rock.
The phosphate is sold under a guar
antee of minimum of ITO bone phos-
phate of lime; go oxide or iron and
alumina. maximum: and 3Ic moisture
maximum. The entire output of hard
rock is exported and the amount ship
ped in the year 1907 was 591,719 tons.
Land pebble phosphate occurs ir
Polk, DeSoto and Hillsborough cOun-
ties. Land pebble represents the
medium grade phos phate, well adapt
ed chemically to the manufacture OF
fertilizers. Approximately 60 per cent
of this product is consumed in the
United States. and 40 per cent export
ed Land pebble is sold under guaran.
tee of 68Il bone phOs phate of lime
4CL oxide of iron and alumina. maxi
mum and so moisture maximum. The
production of this class of phCspha t
for the year 1907 was 714,102 tons.