THE FLORIDA PHOSPHATE DEPOSITS. 
25 
LOCAL DETAILS. 
(SUWANNEE COUNTY. 
The southern and southeastern part of Suwannee County has 
produced some phosphate although only one mine was in operation 
m this county during 1909. A variable thickness of pale yellow sand 
occurs in the pits of this section. At the pits of plant No. 10 of 
Dutton Phosphate Company, 2 miles north of Hildreth from two to 
twelve feet of this incoherent sand rests directly upon the phos¬ 
phate bearing matrix. In one of the pits of this plant the phos¬ 
phate matrix grades at the bottom into a yellow phosphatic clay 
overlying the limestone to a depth of 4 or 5 feet. In one of the 
pits at this plant are observed, as frequently seen elsewhere in the 
hard rock section, many large round elongate siliceous boulders 
interbedded in the phosphate matrix. The underlying formation 
here is the Ocala Limestone which occurs as peaks, and as “hog 
backs” of lime projecting into or even through the phosphate mat¬ 
rix. 
COLUMBIA COUNTY. 
The southern part of Columbia County adjacent to Suwannee 
County has produced considerable phosphate, although only one 
mine in this county was in actual operation at the close of 1909. 
At plant No. 2 of the Dutton Phosphate Company about one- 
half mile west of Ichatucknee Springs the following section was 
obtained: 
Pale incoherent sand.. .. 10 to 20 feet 
Phosphate-bearing matrix. 20 to 25 feet 
Buff yellow phosphatic clays. 5 to 6 feet 
Dark sandy phosphatic clays (exposed) .. . 4. feet 
The incoherent sands in this pit, as at Dutton No. 10, rest di¬ 
rectly upon the phosphate stratum the top of which is exceedingly 
irregular. Clay lenses 6 to 12 inches thick are of frequent occur¬ 
rence especially near the top. The underlying Ocala Limestone 
is reached in places. The buff yellow phosphatic clay observed in 
Dutton No. 10 is seen here also and is underlaid by 4 feet of dark 
sandy phosphatic clay. 
The following section was made in one of the pits of the 
Schilman & Bene Phosphate plant about two miles northwest of 
Ft. White: 
Pale yellow incoherent sand......... .. 3 to 5 feet 
Red clayey sands... 5 to 10 feet 
Phosphate matrix... 15 to 25 feet 
Limestone at the bottom of the pit. 
