Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1951-03-21
Huge Manganese Ore
Deposits Found in Brozil
Reserves Of 40 Million Tons
Located in Two Areas
By Thomas R. Henry

Located in Two Areas
By Thomas R. Henry
The largest deposits of the vital stra-
tegic metal manganese in the Western
Hemisphere have been located in Brazil
by United States Geological Survey
scientists.
There is reserve of at least 40 million
tons in two areas. It may run much
higher, according to the Geological Sur
vey report.
At the same time the Survey scientists
have located hitherto unknown iron
deposits of high quality. estimated at
more than a billion tons in one area.
On the slopes of certain mountain
they estimate that there are nearly
half million tons per meter OF depth.
The ore is expected to yield about "a
per cent iron. Manganese is found in
the same area in the Matte Crosse
region, mountainous area near the
Bolivian border.
The second group Of big manganese
deposits were found in region of tropi-
cal rain forest on the banks Of the
Amapari River just north Of the Equator
and of the Amazon. The area is about
6 miles long and mile wide. Many Of
the outcrops rise in sheer cliffs of high
grade ore to heights of Is feet. The
ore may run as high as million tons,
1t is estimated.
All this, it is stressed, Is in addition
to the recently discovered iron noun
tains in the state of Minas Gerais. This
area is being explored comparatively by
Geological Survey and Brazilian scien-
fists. It covers approximately 1000
square miles and is one of the largest
sources of iron ore in the world.
Scientists of the two countries are
engaged in joint exploration program
authorized under the International
Development Act.
This program, which will continue
until 1858, is expected to provide Brazil
with necessary facts about uncharted
areas on which to base future mining
programs In some of the areas where
deposits have been charted several
American industrial groups have started
mining operations financed jointly with
Brazilians. American firms supply tech
meal specialists.
Deposits Very Old.
The Matte Crosse finds are regarded
as the most important. Deposits occur
in rocks laid down nearly 500 million
years ago on a number of mesas scat
tered over an area of about 500 square
miles in Western Brazil and Eastern
Bolivia. Nearby is fairly large city.
Corumba. It is the mercantile center
of Southern Matte Crosse and will be
the supply point of any future mining
operations. It is located on the Paraguay
River, and steamships make regular
trips between it and tidewater ports.
There is limited supply Of manga
nese in the United States. Deposits are
spread rather thinly over about eight
States. The element is absolutely essen
tial for high-grade steels.
Formerly the chief source Of manga
nese was Russia. which has. south Of
the Caucasus, the largest and richest
deposits known in the world.
The genes, or hereditary units, of a
major American crop upon which the
high primitive civilizations of the New
World were based, are being put in cold
storage for all time to come.
This plant is maize or Indian corn.
1t originated in the Americas. Long
before the first white men arrived, its
cultivation had spread over both con-
tinents. The origin of 1t is lost in
antiquity.
There was infinite variety in the corn
Of the Indians. 1t is estimated that
there are, or were, more than 1000
CIR Tvs iv,
America. Mexico and the Southwestern
United States. Some of these probably
have become extinct. Introduction Of
modern varieties of corn throughout
Latin America has caused the wide
spread abandonment of these primitive
strains-yet they might contain hered-
itary factors which eventually might
be of enormous value to the world. None
of them, of course have such high yields
as the artificially produced varieties.
Similar Program Elsewhere
the maize is being undertaken by the
Division of Biology and Agriculture OF
the National Research Council. The
work will be co-ordinated with that of
the Rockefeller Foundation, which is
carrying out similar program in Mexico
and Colombia.
1t is planned to preserve the seed in
cold storage. At intervals it may be
necessary to plant it in order to get
fresh seed of the same varieties. 1t
will be available on request to geneticists
and corn breeders.
In primitive agriculture corn varieties
became segregated Each Indian group
had its own variety which became fixed
over many generations. Also the primi-
tive farmers had very little contact with
their neighborS.
There were. so far as is known. no
very high yielding types, but they were
developed with view to adaptation to
many climates and soils and very likely
some of them had resistance to diseases
which may at any time become wide
spread.