500 



L. C. Johnson — Phosphate Fields of Florida. 



The area embracing these deposits lies some twenty miles 

 eastward of the main belt of "hard-rock" phosphates, and. 

 extends from Citra on the southeastward bay of Orange Lake 

 to the southwestern extension of Lake Wier, and to Wildwood 

 in Sumter County, a distance of 40 miles, with an average 

 width of \\ to 3 miles. 



Within this region the first mining was done by the " Penin- 

 sula Phosphate Company," near Anthony, 10 miles north of 

 Ocala, in 1890. Other works and mines have been since under- 

 taken at Citra, Sparr, Montague, Welshton, Belleview and 

 Summerfield — stations on the line of the ''Florida Central 

 and Peninsular," and " Florida Southern " Railroads. In only 

 a few of these places, however, have excavations been suffi- 

 ciently extensive to afford a complete insight into the nature 

 extent and value of the deposits, yet in the smallest prospect 

 hole, some facts of value are found. 



The following figure may give a fair notion of the general 

 mode of occurrence of this class of phosphates. 



^T 



Excavation in progress at i! The Ohio Mining Co 's " works, Sparr, Ma. This 

 mine is selected from scores examined, on account of its exceeding regularity. 



A, " Overburthen " — soil and sand — 8 ft. in its greatest thickness. 



B. Great mass of ''Soft-phosphate," and matrix of the fragments of " Plate- 

 rock," narrowing to 2 ft. at bottom — 30 feet deep. 



O, C, The two buttresses or pinnacles of Vicksburg limestone — by the miners 

 called ,; Lime-horses." 



C is 33 feet high, C 34 ft, 



D, D', Trial excavations just begun. 



K, Calcite rock beneath ; F, The draiuage cavity. 



