192 PEACH LEAF CURL: ITS NATURE AND TREATMENT. 



importation of the United States from Sicily is slbout 120,000 tons. 

 The richer sulphur ores of Sicih^ run from 30 to 10 per cent of sul- 

 phur. A considerable quantity is also imported from Japan. 



The leading native sulphur deposits of the United States are located 

 in Nevada, Utah, California. A^"yoming^ and Louisiana. While the 

 amount of sulphur ore in the country is inexhaustible, the writer is 

 informed by a New York dealer that not to exceed 3,000 tons are 

 mined here annually, which, of course, does not include the amount 

 extracted from pyrites. Respecting the Utah sulphur mines, which 

 are located in the foothills of the Wasatch Moimtains and in Beaver 

 County, about 200 miles from Salt Lake City, the writer has received 

 the following interesting data from Mr. C. F. G. Meyer, of St. Louis: 

 The sulphur suppl}^ at these Utah mines is practically unlimited, and 

 the price of the product is governed entirely by foreign markets. 

 The sulphur is found in an immense bed, the ore beginning at the sur- 

 face of the earth and extending down to unknown depths. This ore is 

 of a ver}^ soft character, containing sand, gypsum, and gravel, and 

 has from 15 to 95 per cent sulphur. The prolitable ore is mined 

 through open cuts and hauled on a tramwa}- to smelters. The smelters 

 are cast-iron retorts and hold a ton of ore. Each charge is her- 

 metically sealed and the retort is subjected to 10 atmospheres of steam 

 pressure. Under this heat the sulphur percolates, in the shape of 

 liquid sulphur, through the foreign matter into a pot below, from which 

 it is drawn off and passes into a distilling vat for the purpose of per- 

 mitting all foreign substance to settle to the liottom of the tank; thence 

 it is drawn oft' into wooden molds, holding about 200 pounds, and 

 allowed to cool, after which it is passed through a grinding process 

 in an attrition mill. The product obtained by the above process is about 

 99 per cent pure, and forms the flour of sulphur, which is extensively 

 used, as already indicated. For obtaining what is commonl}^ known 

 as flowers of sulphur, which is chemically pure, the ground sulphur is 

 passed through a resubliming vapor process. 



Respecting any possible advantage to the horticulturist by purchas- 

 ing sulphur refined in Europe in preference to that refined in the 

 United States, a prominent sulphur refiner of San Francisco has kindly 

 supplied the following facts: 



The sulphur refined is mosth^ from imported Sicilian and Japanese 

 products. While there exists the remnant of a former prejudice 

 against California sulphur, it should be of interest and value to know 

 that there is absolute!}" no difference between that manufactured here 

 and that manufactured in France, Italy, Denmark, and other European 

 countries. Both start with the same raw material coming from Sicih^, 

 the same apparatus is employed, and even experienced foreigners are 

 hired to refine the brimstone in the identical manner in which it is 

 treated in the al)ove places. There comes to the horticulturist no 



