The Lynden tribune. [volume] (Lynden, Wash.) 1908-current, 1921-09-08
fertilizer IS
MINED IN West
Rock Phosphate Declared By tx.
| perts Choicest of Soil
Foods.
COST TO FARMERS Is SMALL
Spokane Men Developing Enormous
Beds in Montana-claim Largest
Supply in United States.

Farmers of Washington will have
available the leading soil builde- of
the world, rock phosphate, at a price
only a fraction of commercial feu.-
izers If expectations of developments
of rock phosphate and lime bed IN
Montana are fulfilled. Not only will
he supply of this choice fertilizer .p4
ample for all requirements, but it viii
be sold at from one-fourth to one-lalf
the price of the average commercial
fertilizer, according to Fred j. Ru1
sell of Spokane, president of the AI6n.
tana company.
Heretofore rock phosphate has been
mined in the United States almost ex.
clusively in Florida and Tennessee.
Little Of this supply has found its
way to the Northwest because the sup
ply was too limited and because OF
high freight rates. South Idaho has
some phosphate beds, but their output
is consumed by the farmers of south
ern Idaho and Utah.
THE phosphate beds of southern
Florida and Tennessee have up to the
present supplied about So per cent OF
the worlds output. 1t is said that
those beds are becoming depleted
THE Montana Phosphate company
holdings are said to be twice as large
as those of the famous Ocean island
beds, which were sold for a song to
the English government because, as
writer in Leslie's magazine puts it,
the owners of the island were asleep
on their own gold mine Today
Ocean island is valued at millions OF
dollars. The resources Of the Ocean
island beds are estimated at 35,000,O0Q
long tons; the resources in the Mon
tana Phosphate company's beds are
estimated by geological experts to be
more than 100000 long TONS
1.-The big vein in these holdings runs
from a point northeast of Maxville to
point southwest of Phillipsburg,
distance Of IL miles,"
Report Great Tonnage.
1.-The government survey engineei,s
and other engineers of note estimate
the tonnage in these beds to be ap.
proximately 100000 long tons
above water level, and the deposits
are believed to extend at least 1900
feet below water level. Adjoining
these beds is a mountain containing
millions of tons of the highest grade
III lime. Several bulletins halve been
gotten out by the United States geo
logical survey department on the eX-
tent and value of these fields
"The analysis shows an average of
60 per cent tricalcium phosphate, an
unusually high grade.
Used in Illinois.
Due to the advice and teaching of
DR.. Cyril G. Hopkins, one of the
worlds greatest authorities on the
care of the soil and one of the found
ers of the famous government eX-
perimental agricultural college at
Champaign, ILL.,, the farmers of that
state, where land sells for $500 to
$500 an acre, are using hundreds OF
thousands of tons of rock phosphate
and ground lime. Last year alone
illinois used more than 100000 tons
of ground lime and 10000 tons Of
rock phosphate.
Frank |. Mann of Gilman, H.. says
he increased the production of wheat
on his land from 20 to 60 bushels an
acre and oats and corn from 80 to
100 hnShp1 hu hn Of rock
phosphate.