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ON NATURAL PHOSPHATES 



By J. Lainson Wills, F.C.S. 

 {Delivered 12th March, i8g2.) 



When your President and Treasurer did me the honour to request 

 me to read a paper on " Phosphates " before the Ottawa Fieldr 

 Naturahsts' Club, I hesitated in complying. 



" Phosphates " in a general way, as we employ the word in this 

 locality, implies the crystallized Mineral Apatite, so abundant in certain 

 parts of our Laurentian formation. The good work done by the 

 Geological Survey, has from time to time, through its officers, kept us 

 well informed of the localities and peculiarities of the occurence of the 

 Canadian Apatite, by valuable contributions form the pens of Sir Wm. 

 Logan, Sterry Hunt, Vennor, Dr. Geo. Dawson, Torrance, Dr. Robert 

 Bell and others. At the present lime, I understand that Mr. Ingall 

 also, who has been in charge of a special study of onr Canadian Apatite 

 fields, is about to terminate and publish his preliminary report, so with 

 deference to his opportunities and approaching publication, I could not 

 presume to undertake a paper purely on Canadian Phosphates or 

 Apatites as was proposed, but thought it might be acceptable to our 

 members here, to give their attention to a more extended and general 

 consideration of natural mineral Phosphates, and hence the title of my 

 paper this evenmg, instead of being " Canadian Apatite " is " Natural 

 Phosphates " in a general way. My present occupation prevents me 

 from giving much time and study to the preparation of this work, but 

 if by some generalization of facts, we can awaken a heahhy discussion^ 

 and exchange of ideas, my humble attempt will not have been useless. 



Natural phosphates owe their commercial value to the proportion 

 of phosphoric element contained in them, and aie employed as raw 

 material for the manufacture of phosphatic fertilizers, being also some- 

 times applied in the natural and raw state direct to the soil by the 

 farmer. They are also in demand for the manufacture of phosphorus, 

 baking powders and some other chemical products. By far the greatest 

 demand for them, however, is made by the manure manufacturers for 



