93 TRANSACTIONS OF THE [jAN. 27, 



Floral City, At the orange-grove of Dr. Hawkins, a mile 

 southeast of Eutland Post-Office, on the river, the surface 

 boulders showed the existence of phosphate, and it was apparent 

 in the cistern which was being enlarged. On the adjoining 

 plantation, in the midst of an orange-grove, several pits have 

 been sunk, revealing the presence of phosphate in numerous 

 nodules or masses in the sand, but not in place; these masses 

 nevertheless being so numerous as to make up, I should say, 

 fully one-third of the material excavated below a depth of three 

 or four feet. The masses were of a yellow color and quite hard. 

 These deposits were in high hammock lands near the river, but, 

 owing to the diflBculty which will be experienced on all low 

 grounds, from water, many of this class will be comparatively 

 difficult to work. But on the pine ridges which constitute the 

 greater area in Citrus County, this difficulty will not be en- 

 countered, especially because it seems necessary to go through 

 the compact phosphate material to strike water, and above this 

 point, I believe, only surface water will have to be contended 

 with. 



Among these pine ridges in the vicinity of Floral City are 

 many localities which have been carefully examined by others, 

 and from which I procured specimens containing from 60 to 85 

 per cent of bone phosphate, the latter being a pure white article 

 from the bottom of a well, which it was stated — and I have no 

 reason to doubt the statement — was at that time 13 feet deep in 

 solid phosphate. 



Near Floral City were two properties (among many) controlled 

 by Mr. Collin M. Hawkins, of Raleigh, N. C. In company with 

 Dr. H. B. Battle, the North Carolina State Chemist, 1 examined 

 these with considerable care, and the results will serve as a type 

 of other lands in the vicinity. The tracts were rolling and con- 

 sisted together of about 100 acres of sandy pine land, having 

 some 15 or 20 acres in productive orange-groves. They had been 

 developed by pits sunk at irregular distances in a zigzag manner 

 across the field, being distant respectively from each other 138 

 yards, 226 yards, 93 yards, 84 yards, 60 yards, and 126 yards. 

 They had all gone down until the phosphate was exposed, or 

 until the owner of the land became discouraged at his supposed 

 inability to find it. I may say here that with the eye alone the 

 most experienced chemist, — unless his experience has been ob- 

 tained in Florida, and that within 60 days, — is utterly at a loss, 

 and his judgment no better than that of the average " cracker." 

 I could not tell by the eye the difference between the carbonate 

 of lime and the white phosphate, nor between the calcareous clay 

 and the cream-colored phosphate, and was much surprised at 

 finding large percentages of phosphate in samples from pits 



