30 CHEMICAL MANUEES. 



found in the province of Quebec, at Templeton, Buckingham, Port- 

 land, Egonville, Lievre-river ; in the province of Ontario, at Leeds, 

 Lamarck, Fontenac, Addington, Kingston, Perth and Eenfrew 

 County. The most important deposits are those of North Burgess, 

 South Burgess, and North Emslev in Lawrence Countv. 



The utilization of Canadian phosphates is embarrassed not only 

 by the depression more or less transitory in the price of the goods, 

 but further and still more by the irregular mode of occurrence of 

 the deposit, and the obligation created by the dearness of freights^ 

 and commercial customs, of only regarding as marketable and fit 

 for export products containing 80 per cent of tribasic phosphate. 

 Now this content cannot be secured except at great expense, and 

 an enormous waste of low content material unutilizable, which is-- 

 piled up on the outskirts of the mines. In fact, every mineral with 

 less than 60 per cent is of no value in Canada, as not being capable 

 of paying for the freight. Attempts have been made with the wash- 

 ing processes, with the result that certain deliveries have tested 

 87 "83 of tribasic phosphate of lime. That is the highest figure 

 attained in Canada. [Working has ceased for some years. — Tr.] 



South Carolina. — The South Carolina ]3hosphate deposits oc- 

 cur in Miocene strata from the Charleston basin as far as North 

 Carolina, Georgia, and Florida. They are very extensive, and the- 

 nodules of phosphorite extracted therefrom are very analogous- 

 with those which exist in Central Eussia and in the London Basin. 

 They were discovered in 1869, i.e. long before the other North 

 American deposits. The Carolina deposits extend along the coast 

 with a breadth of 10 to 45 miles from the source of the Eiver Wandc 

 and from the eastern arm of the Eiver Cooper, which both flow 

 into the Atlantic at Charleston, as far as the sources of Broad Eiver. 

 They are often found on the surface of the ground. At other times- 

 they are covered with sand and clay deposited by diluvial water. 

 The rock phosphate is distinguished from the river phosphate' 

 {Land PJiosphate and Biver Phosphate). The first is usually found! 

 10 feet from the surface, the second on or under the bed of the- 

 rivers. Their colour varies according to their origin. That of the 

 rock phosphate is yellowish or pale grey. Eiver phosphates are 

 black owing to presence of organic matter. The phosphorite occurs- 

 as nodules or balls, with a rugose surface, and smooth or pitted, 

 sometimes shining as if enamelled. It is often mixed with shells, 

 petrified bones, the teeth of terrestrial and marine animals. The- 

 diameter of the lumps varies from a few centimetres to 1 metre. 

 Before the discovery of the Florida phosphates, the South Carolina 

 deposits furnished about one-fifth of the world's consumption. 

 Their product was perfectly suitable for making superphosphates-- 

 with 18 per cent of phosphoric acid = 28*4 per cent soluble phos- 

 phate. The annual export amounted to 150,000 tons. But since 



