The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-03-17

tural purposes Is to grind II to a
/ fine powder and apply about forty or
hfty bushels TO the acre. Tho cffcc,
upon the soil is three fold. 1t pro.
duccs important chemical changes by
| breaking up many refractory minerals,
whose clements reunite to form 9TH
or compounds which arc soluble and
serve ms plant food; II changes the
physical property of soil by making
those which are clayey and sticky,
porous and permcnble to watcr, and
making those which ara loose more
consolidated, and 1t is Itself used up
to certain extent as a plant food
manufacturing Plants.
One OF the principal uays in which
the shell marls of Underwater Virginia
ara destined to he used Is in tho man
ufacture of Portland cement. There
is one plant already in operation at
Norfolk This plant, however. Is some
distance removed from It's source OF
raw materials which are conveyed 10
the plant by bargcs from points near
Smithiield, Va, where the Queries are
located Charters have been grant I'd
to two other companies. One of these
plans to build plant at Yorktown
ana the other VIII erect It's plant ON
the James River. The plant AT Nor
folk Is the only plant In the United
states manufacturing cement from q
mixture OF Tidewater marls and clay
rms plant, as well as those which will
be located In the same section arc
said to have very considerable adj
Nantag, over their competitors in The
matter OF cost of quarrying the raw
materials. In addition to this they
can be 50 situated that thcy Will
have available both water and rnu
transportation facilities Cement Is n
bulky product and this is obviously
I'm NAr IL
, whole, therefore. the outlook for the
development of i large Portland &C.
rnent industry In this section is in
| deed very promising.
!. The other materials OF the mineral
resources OF It'd Awatcr Virginia which
may he mentioned in this connection
are ochres, suitable for mineral paint
iron ore ana building stone. The
ochrcs and the iron ore are worked 10
only small extent The deposits of
the former are generally more or less
impure. but number arc known which
could nc prohtably worked on a small
, scale. The occurrences Of Iron orc
likewisa are found in small Quantities
and under present conditions in the Iron
Industry. could hardly be worked with
profit Iron ore deposits of this sec
ton however, ara OF great interest
historically. because the first iron ore
mined In America was won from the
! deposits in this section by the James
own colonists in 1909. The successful
extraction of the metal from this ore
red to the erection OF the first iron
Torks In the United States, on Falling
Creek. in Chesterfield county. about
seven miles south of Richmond from
e61o and 1922
The building stones OF the coas tai
"lain are OF but little Importance. both
IN account of their limited occurrences
and inferior quality. In region where
practically all the rocks are uncon-
soldat=d. hardened or induratcd BEDS
are pretty certain to be utilized local.
~ for the foundation OF buildings ana
other purposes In which hardened.
compact stones are not demanded In
1'rated strata occur in almost every
formation of the coastal plain Of tn
state. and materials from these beds
have been employed for such local pur-
poses"