Show DISCOVERY OF PHOSPHATE the discovery of rock phosphate at melrose mont by H S gale of the united state geological survey in october 1910 suggested the strong possibility of its occurrence rence in the western part of the state in 1011 loll rock phosphate was discovered by J T aadree of the survey at three localities in western Alon montana tana in the garnet range six miles north of garrison at philipsburg and half a mile east of elliston A detailed examination of the phosphate field at elliston oil was begun in 1913 by R q W stone and C A bonine and their report has just been published published by the geological survey as bulletin N the phosphate in the south half of the elliston field is within miles of the northern thern pacific railway and readily accessible sible to it the farthest point in the northern part of the field is between six and even beven miles from the railway by way of jog 09 creek valley down which there is an 1 easy grade grad e in the south half of the ellison I 1 tol field the phosphate bed stands nearly vertical ler er along out I 1 about two miles of its lop I 1 crop hut but near elliston it is so faulted that I 1 aa n estimate of the area underlain by it is fl cult 01 on the assumption however that 0 this ms art t of the field contains the equivalent o othree f W three miles of outcropping cropping out bed that could I 1 1 mined ined to a depth of half a mile there is fia Q the south half of the field half a square ula underlain the by phosphate and as few ew measurements ilea in this part of the field suggest an average thickness 0 of four feet it is estimated that at least tons of phosphate rock is present in the south half while in the northern half balf there is an estimated deposit of tons of rock making a total of more than tons in the whole elliston field these deposits have not yet been developed ve loped owing to the of their discovery and to the lack of markets sufficiently near to justify mining and reduction the demand for fertilizer products in the western states is not large owing to the lack of intensive cultivation and the newness of the agricultural lands but there is a growing tendency to use fertilizers where the land is farmed extensively especially in the middle west the western phosphate deposits are favorably situated to meet a demand from this section of the country and will doubtless be utilized in the future A copy of bulletin N may be obtained free on application to the director of the united states geological survey washington D C |