The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1916-03-18
MAnL MUCH IN DEMAND.
FACILITIES ARE To
BE INCREASED,
Pulvcrized Material is Made Available
at Almost Cost Under State Con-
tract.

tract.
Columbia, March 14.-Since the
announcement Of the signing of the
contract under the act Of the general
assembly for the furnishing of pull
yerized mari to the farmers of the
State, to be supplied through the de-
partment of agriculture, commerce
and industries, there has been a rush
for the material.
Commissioner Watson stated yes
iterday that the demand for the mari
had not only been gratifying. but had
been 80 general as almost to exhaust
the supply accumulated since the
opening of the mine. Inquiries. he
said. have come from all parts Of the
State for quotations. and shipments
are now being made to points cover
ing practically the entire State, as far
north as Gaffney and Oconee county,
and as far south as Tillman.
It has been necessary to scale down
oders. and to ship one car where two
were wanted. In the meantime, every
possible effort has been put forth by
the contracting company to increase
Immediately the capacity of the plant,
and additional machinery in the
shaee Of so foot long driers is now
en- route. The plant will be shut down
April for a week or ten days to per-
NIT the installation Of the new ma
chimes and extension of the buildings.
When this is accomplished 1t will
bring the output up to $50 to 400 tons
per day. BY that time also the elec-
tric plant will have been installed, and
the entire plant will be operated day
and night.
Some few of the railroads have been
somewhat slow in issuing the new
tariffs. applying their ground lime
stone mileage rates to mari, but tele.
grams have been received from them
through the State railroad commits
sion that this will be done without
further delay, and the low mileage
rates will then cover the entire State.
/ Pulverized mari, while best broad
cast In broken soil and narrowed in.
ican be applied to growing crops OF
cotton. corn. etc., the latter cultiva.
4 tton, mixing 1t thorough with the
top soil. This means that pulverized
mari In this quickly available form
Will be usable throughout the year. II
can also be applied on oats, particu-
larly where cowpeas. peanuts and SOY
beans are to be planted. 1t is the ideal
form Of lime for peanut crops, and
the great peanut growers OF the suf-
folk. Va. section invariably use mari
for this crop.
In view of the frequent inquiries
made as to the quality of this ma
terial, Commissioner Watson said
yesterday that pulverized mari is the
raw material from which the mois-
ture has been driven without cal
ching. and then powdered to dust.
1t analyzes 74.5S per cent. of carbo
nate OF lime, OF which 6S.01 per cent.
Is calcium carbonate and e.57 per
cent. magnesium carbonate, the lime
being quickly available. 1t also con-
tains s.37 per cent. bone phosphate of
lime. equal to the phosphoric acid in
oSs pounds of Is per cent. acid phos-
phate. This phosphoric acid must be
made available through the decaying
OF organic matter in the soil, and is
ideal for application to acid land.
Every seven IONS of pulverized mari
contains. therefore. one ton of ground
rock phosphate or floats of $3.50 DER
cent. of bone phosphate of lime. the
equivalent Of 1913 per cent. phos-
phoric acid. Pulverized mari Is the
most readily available form OF the
raw or untreated lime products.
AT the price at the mine that this
material will be furnished under the
contract to the farmers until June l."
said Commissioner Watson Yesterday.
we are practically making the farm
er present of the lime. Plus the
freight, 1t Is only at very distant
points IN the upper portion of tho
State that tho delivered price amounts
to more than $3.50 per ton"