Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1917-06-27
Commissioner Watson Tells of Plans
for Benefit OF Farmers.
(The State, 18th. }

Arrangements have been cOmplet-
ed for the erection of a large plant of
$4,000 tons annual capacity to put
out high grade South Carolina
ground phosphate rock. The plant is
to be located near Lambs on the Ash
ley river, near Charleston, in the
heart OF the valuable South Carolina
phosphate beds.
The establishment of the plant is
the outcome Of efforts that Commits
sioner Watson of the State Depart
ment of Agriculture has been maxi
Ing for some months to get the Char
lesion South Carolina Mining g.
Manufacturing Company, the con
tractors with the State for phospho-
mari, to put in a plant and make It
possible for the farmers of South
carolina to get ground rock without
being compelled to purchase it in
FLORIDA Or in Tennessee. The South
carolina rock Is regarded as the best
IN existence for agricultural pur-
poses, but it has been many years
since any opportunity has been given
the farmers Of the State to secure It
IN ground form. 1t will be available
at considerably cheaper delivered
pilce than the tennessee or Florida
rock
J. f. McGrath. of Richmond, Va.
VICE president of the Charleston
oouth Carolina Mining C Manufac-
turing Company, spent Saturday
forenoon In conference with Commits
sloner watson, and, after the confer
ence Mr.. Watson said:
Ever since | succeeded IN pett,ng
n min
product known as Dhospho-marl.
which, under the law, this denart.
ment Is furnishing the farmers as
cheaply as possible, | have been en-
deaVor!ng to get the company to sun
plement its $4,000 investment in
that plant by putting in modern
grinding and pulverizing plant in its
ADJOINING phosphate beds, and give
TO our people this valuable South
carolina rock. Recently, the under
taxing was determined upon, and the
engineers have completed the plans
lor $4,000 plant. The materials
and machinery are now being assem-
pied, and it Is expected to have the
development sufficiently advanced
Tor october deliveries.
The product will be sold under
contract with this department,
through the department, and owing
10 snort railway hauls will be avail
anle TO farmers considerably cheaper
tnan the product form either the
tennessee or Florida mines.
south Carolina ground rock,
whiie slightly lower in bone phos
phate OF lime, is for direct applica-
tlon (untreated or raw to the soil
III class all to itself, and is not to
De considered with the Tennessee or
brown rock sold in this State. South
carolina rock is a marl~lime forma-
tlon, and contains 13 per cent of
carbonates free and unassociated
with phosphoric acid, while the Ten
nessee brown rock does not, due to
Its basic formation, contain any an
preciable free carbonates. The Flor
ida ground rock contains about seven
per cent free carbonates, but due to
formation Is not as soluble in soil as
the South Carolina rock. The South
Carolina rock contains % to 28h
per cent Of phosphoric acid, 80 to 33
per cent carbonate of lime, associat-
ed with phospohoric acid, and 13 to
Il per cent Of carbonate not associat-
ed with phosphoric acid. All of the
carbonates, as In pbospho-marl, are.
due to their character, quickly solu-
Bile and active, thus releasing the
phosphoric acid to the action of soil
acids for conversion into plant food.
Just as soon as possible an
nouncement will be made by the de-
partment rs to delivered prices that
Will prevail. Under the contract the
entire product Of the plant will be
handled by the State upon the same
plan as phospho-marl.
This Is perhaps one of the long
est steps forward we have taken in
the effort to make it possible in this
state for our farmers to return to
safe and sane system of maintenance
or SOIL fertility by the utilization Of
our own natural resources"