The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1914-06-24
PHOSPHATE ROCK
The Reserve supply i'm the United
States

tReprinted from the Journal OF
Industrial and Engineering Chemis-
try
Numerous estimates have been
made from time TO time on the ton
mage of phosphate rock available for
future use in this country These
estimates vary SO widely that little
importance has been attached to
them, and in many cases they can
hardly be considered as anything
more than wild guesses.
Owing to the pockety nature OF
many of our deposits of phosphorites
or anonymous phosphates, careful
surveys and thorough systematic
prospecting are necessary to gain
anything like an accurate knowledge
of their value and extent. The ex-
penses of such examinations are fire.
quently not warranted and are sell
dom made except immediately before
actual mining operations are begun.
Again, much of the phosphate prop
erty has been acquired SO cheaply
that only a superficial examination
was necessary to justify its purchase.
Under such circumstances the own
ers of the land may have but a hazy
idea of the amount of phosphate con-
tanned therin. On the other hand,
some of the phosphate deposits, such
as those in our western states and in
certain parts of Arkansas and Ten
nessee, are of such character that
fair approximation of their tonnage
might be made by careful surveys
For some time it has been obvi-
ously desirable that both producer
and consumer should have some idea
(even though a rough one) of the
amount of phosphate rock still un-
mined in the United States. Again
and again disquieting reports have
been spread that our supplies of this
mineral, so important to the Ameri-
can farmer. were being rapidly de-
p1eted, and that thereby the agricul
tural interests of the country would
soon be seriously impaired. Alarm
has also been caused by the fact
that several phosphate companies
are owned by European capitalists,
and fears have been expressed that
foreign capital is seeking to acquire
control OF the American deposits.
1t has been urged even that some
legislation be enacted preventing ex-
portation of phosphate rock.
In order to show the actual basis
for such reports and whether or not
there is any real need for curtailing
shipments of phosphates, the data
herein contained were collected and
compiled with considerable. care.
The figures were obtained by CORE
spondence and consultation with
mine owners and operators, and by
direct observation and field investi-
cations of the various deposits thru
out the country. So little develop
ment work has been done in Ken
lucky and Arkansas that the tonnage
given for these states are thought
not to be close; they are regarded,
however, as ultra-conservative.
The estimates given below are for
rock grading from So to IS per cent.
''bone phosphate of lime" In the
case of the dow-grade phosphate in.
the west and the wash heaps of Flor
ida. the material is figured to its
equivalent in high-grade rock:
Utah, Idaho Wyoming and Mon
tana:
High-grade, O0,0O0,000 tons.
High-grade equivalent of all
grades, 1900. 600 900 tons.
Florida:
High-grade equivalent of all
grades, 354,3OO.0O0 tons.
High-grade equivalent of wash
heaps, 20,0O0,O0O tons.
Tennessee:
High-grade equivalent of all
grades, lis, 100000 tons.
South Carolina:
High-grade equivalent of all
grades, 10000. 900 tons.
Arkansas:
High-grade equivalent of all
grades, 100000 tons.
Kentucky:
High-grade equivalent of all
grades, 500 900 tons.
Total, 1873, $500 tons.
The production of phosphate in
1912, according to the figures of the
United States Geological Survey, was
as follows.
Florida, 2,4O6,S99 tons.
Tennessee, (including production
Of Arkansas), 423,331 tons.
South Carolina, 131. 490 tons.
Western States, (including Utah,
Ysoa onA MvomSnpl 1872 tons