ANNUAL REPORT-MINERAL INDUSTRIES. 
37 
Florida. The wide distribution of fuller's earth in north 
and central Florida, together with its known occurrence 
in south Florida, probably indicates numerous deposits 
not yet located. 
Production of Fuller’s Earth During 1907:—Three 
plants were engaged in mining fuller’s earth during 1907. 
These were the Owl Commercial Co.,Quincy; The Southern 
Fuller’s Earth Co., Mt. Pleasant; and the Atlantic Ke¬ 
fir-ing Co., of Ellenton, Florida. The total amount of 
fuller’s earth mined in the State during 1907 as reported 
to the Survey by the producers was 24,148 short tons, 
valued at $235,443. The product is used principally in 
the United States, although a certain part of the 1907 
product was exported to foreign markets. 
PEAT. 
Peat has been mined in Florida in an experimental way 
for several years. Two plants are now being operated 
during all or a part of the year. The Orlando Water and 
Light Company has operated a plant near the city of 
Orlando for several years. The peat at this plant, after 
removal from the bog, is passed through a kneading 
machine which disintegrates the fiber and prevents re¬ 
absorption of moisture. It is then dried in the open, 
and after drying is cut into convenient sized pieces for 
local use as a fuel. Bricketting, which was formerly used, 
has been abandoned by this company as impracticable for 
this peat. The Florida Peat Fuel and Construction Com¬ 
pany operates a plant near Bayard in St. Johns County. 
Such tests of Florida peat as have been made, have 
been unusually promising. The fuel and gas producing 
value of peat from the Orlando bog was tested in the 
fuel and testing plant of the U. S. Geological Survey in 
1906. The report on these tests contained in Bulletin 290, 
p. 134-135 of the United States Geological Survey is as 
follows: 
“In connection with this test of a small quantity of 
