The Palatka news and advertiser. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1908-19??, 1913-11-07
HARD PROSPHATES
OF THIS STATE
FIFTH ANNUAL REPORT OF THE
STATE AGRICULTURAL
SURVEY.
MAP INCLUDED IN REPORT
The Report Is Available for Distrbu
J ton as Whole When 1t Is
Desired.

Tallahassee. "A letter from State
Geologist e. H. Sellards, Phi. D., re,
gardng the fifth annual report of the
geological department of the state of
Florida, gives an authoritative state,
ment of the leading feature of the re
mort, as we'll as the form in which it
is published:
In accordance with your request,
am sending you one complete copy
of the fifth annual report and also
the several papers Of the report as
separate. The report is available for
distribution as whole when desired,
or each paper may be obtained as a
separate when the entire report is not
desired, printing in this form being
matter of convenience in distributing
the report.
Accompanying the report is map
in the pocket at the back, in which is
shown In the location of the hard rock
phosphate deposits, the land pebble
phosphate deposits, the areas in which
flowing artesian wells may be obtained
and my means of contour lines the ele'
vations in different parts of the state.
The principal limestone areas Of Flor
ida are indicated on the map facing
page "a.
The paper on the "Origin Of the
Hard Rock Phosphate Deposits of
Florida" is based on very careful
investigation of these deposits. The
problems to be accounted for are stat.
ed on page 81, and an outline or
summary of the explanation offered
is given on pages 81 and 38. The the
cries which have been offered previ-
ously to account for these deposits
are given on pages As to so, none OF
which are entirely satisfactory or fully
answer the conditions as they actu-
ally exist. Following a discussion of
these theories there is given a full
discussion of the deposits, including
the source of the phosphoric acid, the
agency by which it has accumulated
in it's present form, the relation OF
the deposits to the underground wa
ter level, the process by which phos
phate, as we'll as silica boulders have
formed, the localization of the depos'
its and the limitations OF the forma-
ton carrying the phosphate.
The processes involved in forming
the hard rock phosphates are neither
complicated nor unusual. Rain water
in passing through the soil and sur
face materials takes phosphoric acid
into solution. Upon reaching the per
manent underground water level the
free circulation of the water is check
ed and the phosphoric acid may be
thrown out of solution; or upon reach
ing lenses or beds of clay or other
fine grained materials the circulation
of the water is checked and the wa.
ter may move slowly or remain station
airy for time and under these condi-
ton may throw out the phosphoriC
acid in a concentrated form; also the
mixing of waters of different sources
carrying different materials in solution
may result in the precipitation of some
of the materials. 1t Is to be noted
that the hard rock phosphate is form
ed only where the subdrainage is good,
thus favoring these processes.
In considering these processes the
time elements must not be overlooked. |
The processes have gone on continu.
ously for long period of time. In fact,
the indications are that the processes
have been continued so long that for
nations of quite considerable thickness
have disintegrated and almost entirely
disappeared, the phosphoric acid which
they originally contained having been
concentrated at the lower level. The
mixtures of fossils now found in these
deposits, of which number are illus
trated in this report, have been deriv-
ed from the materials that have dis
migrated. The fossils are incidental
to the formation and are not the
cause of the phosphate.
1t is well to observe that this eXpla
nation applies to the hard rock. The
study of the land pebble phosphates
has not been completed.
E. H. SELLARDS, State Geologst.