The Concordia sentinel. (Vidalia, Concordia Parish, La.) 1882-current, 1920-10-23
MARL BEDS Great
New Jersey Has Much Wealth in
lis Possession.
Formed Ages Ago When the Atlantic
Coast Was a Marsh and Swarmed
With Gigantic Reptiles.

TIE cfeIaceOuS per1Ou may seem re-
mote from the present, and in point
of time IL iS. Ii Has a good many. ages
ago when the Atlantic coastal plain
WAS under water and when gigantic
Saurians swarIned in ocean and marsh.
But natural processes that we're I'M
der way during this period are af-
fecting our present civilization very vi
tally. They touch our food, our
clothing. our induStries--in fact, every
phase Of life. Herschol Bicken tells the
Brooklyn Eagle. For IL was during
the cretaceOus period THAI Mother Ma
ture was storing up coal and l'gaites,
petroleum and marls, especially a
greensand mari which has recently
been brought prominently TO the atten-
ton of Americans by the discovery
that it is rich In potash.
The chief constituent of grsensand
Is mineral called gIaucOnite. which,
in technical terms, is dull green
anonymous sillcate Of iron and potas-
sum. GlaucOnitP cONAainS from 6 10 \
per cent Of potash. This is removed
by treating the mineral with milk of
lime under pressure, the result being
pure cauStic potash, which is the base
for all the many potash chemicals used
in industry and alsO-even more impOr-
tant at the present tlme-fOr the best
commercial fertilizers.
The exact origin of glauconite is not
yet known. although SCIENTISTS have es-
tahlished the fact that it's formation
is continuing tNflay at the hottom of
the sea. IN some places from 2Wl to
1000 fathoms deep. although it seems
to be especially favored by shallower
water Of about 100 fathoms.
The fact that It occurs in rounded
Jumps, surrounded in many instances
bv shells of the foraminifera. minute
organisms Of the bottom Of the ocean,
has given rise to the theory that in
some little understood way the decom-
position Of the hodies Of these ami,
mails brought about the chemical re-
action that resulted in gIaucnnite.
1t is crystalline I'm form hut is rare
ly found in anything Ike perfect crvs-
tells. usually occurring in minute par
ticlPs. which react fPRbly with pOlnrizcd
light. often free gIaucOnite is found
without traces Of the shells mentioned,
md il is believed that this occurs I've
cause ocean currents have washed
away the heavier minerals from IT'S
surrounding Caicareous formation. The
shells tend to become very friable. and
the whole mass of gInucn1ite and
shells may easily be crushed between
the fingers.
The mari beds Of New Jersey have
been known and used as sources of
fertilizers for ga many wears as the
state has been SPtt,nd. Until recently,
acid and carhoHAfp Of lime. both Of
which they contain. thai the marIs
were used Their richness in notaSh
content. while known vaguely. he'd nnv-
or been regarded as of first import
HRce. hecause no satisfactory process
for separating the potash had been
found.
These beds cover q large area which
stretches ohiiQuefy across the stare
from RAritFn hay and the Atlantic on
the southwest. 2 distance of 100 miles
They vary from nine TO nine-epn miles
in width and the average depth of the
deposit is 20 feet.
according tn figures campilrd nv the
geolOgical survey. sgrare mile Of
grPenSsnd-there arc apprOvimateiy
30 SQUARE miles of IL IN New .Jer-
sey-win v'nld. from n thickness If one
foot, 7s 900 tons Of potash. and 10
foot he'd that covers an area 0f
SqHare mite will yield I .5aaHF0 tons.
New Jersey Is not the -ouly srste
however that has rich -repnsand de-
posits. The mari beds run through
Delaware. scrOSs fire District of Co
lUmhia and down into Virginia. taner
ing 10 point > short distance south
of Pefershurv. They are slightly wider
in their southern rearhas
Experts estimate that ttpre is SufFi-
cIent raw material In the New Ierspv
and Delawsre bets 20 furnish n0tash
for the United States these next 3.ONt
to 1000 years.