30 



FLORIDA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY SIXTH ANNUAL REPORT. 



thickness and quality of the fuhers earth stratum beneath and 

 upon the character of the overburden itself. In the Florida mines 

 the maximum overburden removed is from 12 to 14 feet in thick- 

 ness. This consists of sand,, clay and in some cases marl. The 

 fullers earth in these mines includes two strata each from six 

 to ten feet thick, and separated by a thin stratum of sandy or cal- 

 careous material. As a rule the first stratum only is worked. 

 The fullers earth itself is dug with pick and shovel, and is then 

 loaded onto cars to be drawn to the plant. 



Fig. 4. — Pit in fullers earth mine, Quincy, Florida. 



In Arkansas where the earth is found following basaltic dikes, 

 underground mining is resorted to. Vertical shafts are sunk 

 from w^hich laterals run to the vein of earth. The fullers earth 

 is drawn to the surface in buckets and is hauled by wagon to 

 the plant near by. 



DRYING FULLERS EARTH. 



At the plant the earth is broken up by passing through a 

 crusher, thus facilitating both handling and drying. Although 

 the earth is usually taken directly to the crusher, yet in some 

 instances it is placed in storage bins and air dried before being 

 crushed. Drying fullers earth is for the purpose of removing the 

 excess of moisture. 



