Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1910-07-21
osoartment Of Agriculture Issues
Bulletin Reviewing the
Subject.
THE SUPPLY BEING DEPLETED
-, Idaho and wyoming Contain
greatest Deposits Known to Exist
In the World
lsnsoiaI to The News)


.,os,on d. c., July H.-The u,
s.nartnent Of agriculture has Is
- bulletin entitled "A Review oil
.So phosphate Fields OF Idaho, utah
VA wyoming" as the result OF re-
-, ,nyestlgatia. by w, H. Wag'
.aman Of the bureau Of soils,
rbe bulletin says that In some OF
.,,r western states there IL deposit
os,hosphato rock extending over large
srsa. m fact. one OF the largest phos-
49, areas now known in the world,
ne" region so far as yet explored.
f,,isss portions Of northwestern
ss,ab southeastern Idaho, and south
s,ern wyoming The area IN these
s,a,ss underlain by phosphate rock ex-
sssds the phosphate areas OF Florida
"a tennessee. and compares with the
,srss phosphate fields of northern AZ
va IN Tuns, Algeria, Oren and Nor
Nj only are these western deposits
.,,snsiye in area, but the phosphate
ocsurs in thick, readily workable beds.
ana chemical analyses or the rocks
show them % be of high grade. Thus
favorable condition OF quality and
sh,.kness and area of workable beds
A valuable national asset.
4 According to the bulletin, interest in
shkse lands has been stimulated by the
scent conservation movement. since
rhosphate rock is generally considered
"a BE- one OF the natural resources
which il apparently being most rapidly
depleted
,he phosphate rock mined In Idaho.
Wyoming and Utah is sent TO Califor-
MA for fertilizer manufacture.
IAN the factories are run in connec-
ton with sulphuric acid plants. Part
Of the acid ls made by roasting cal
eopyrite containing about two per cent
Of copper and IS per cent OF sulphur.
The ash is treated for the recovery OF
The copper. either by teaching with
water or by smelling. Another meth
Cd for the manufacturing OF sulphurlc
acil Is by the use OF high grade Jap
ansse sulphur IL is estimated that
the total daily capacity OF these and
adjacent plants Is very close TO 100
tons OF 50 degs<es Baume acid
In the manufacture OF phosphate
the phosphate rock may be used either
raw or mixed with bat gauno or dried
blood before treatment with sulphuric
acid The usual proportions are about
nine parts OF acid TO 10 parts Of rock,
ground so as TO pass through a 30
mesh sieve. After the escape OF the
carbon dloxide hydrofluo- silicic acid.
and other gases, the material soHdihes
10 porous mass. Ii is claimed that
there is ap improvement in the super
Phosphate during storage OF as much
As one per cent of soluble phosphoric
add The total capacity of these
plants Is estimated at It's tons per day,
but as yet the demand in California
is below that figure. and tho manufac-
tories are not running at their fun
Capaelty
The product Of these concerns Is put
on the market in three forms. Basic
superphosphafe is nude by putting
acid phosphate and quick-lime in alter
nate layers and allowing the whole to
stand for several days. The finished
product. which Ia said to be largely
diealclum phosphate. is used by farm
es Who wish % avoid the use OF acid
med FERTILIZERS. Other farmers pre-
ier the acidihed superphosphate The
thlrd form In which the superphosphate
y used Is In mixtures with potash and
nitrogen carriers Besides the three
factories already referred to- there are
oueS which use the crude superphos-
lhate In the manufacture Of special
brands Of mixed fertilizers.
me consumption OF fertilizers In
.ahfornia Is steadily growing. having
Increased from 1000 to 81. 900 tons dur