Show phosphate rock industry industry grows the quantity of phosphate rock marketed in the united states in 1919 appears to have been less than in any year within the last decade except 1915 the production in south carolina was nearly treble that of 1918 tennessee greatly increased her output and the western states made a proportionately tiona tely large Z gain but a strike in the florida pebble phosphate field which lasted several months so greatly reduced the output from that state that the record for the whole shows a decided decrease in quantity the value of the product in 1919 however appears to have been greater than I 1 in n any year since 1913 according to estimates made by R W stone united states geological survey department part ment of the interior from the incomplete returns available at the end of april the quantity of phosphate rock sold in the united states in 1919 was about long tons valued at as compared with tons valued at in 1918 western states production idaho produced in 1919 at least tons of high 0 grade phosphate rock valued at an increase of 33 per cent in quantity and about 55 per cent in value over the production of approximately tons valued at in 1918 the operators in idaho are the san francisco chemical Coa company pany the western phosphate mining manufacturing company and the merriman potash products kompany company operating in dear bear lake county no reports for 1919 have been received from mines sometimes operated in rich county utah and uinta county wyo of the shipments made in 1919 from the western field about tons was billed to california 2000 tons to hawaii and most of the rest to illinois the shipments made during the first three months of 1920 averaged more than 2500 tons a month most of the rock was sent to california for treatment some to chicago and one shipment of several hundred tons to japan I 1 in february 1920 it was reported that contracts have been made for large shipments of idaho phosphate rock to japan and that bunkers are being built on the dock at portland ore to provide for these ship ments it is reported also that the anaconda copper mining company will operate a phosphate manufacturing plant in connection with its smelt smelter erat at anaconda the phosphate rock for this plant will be mined at melrose south of butte and on warm springs creek north of garrison mont exports of phosphate rock from 1913 when more than tons of phosphate rock was exported the quantity leaving the united states steadily decreased until 1918 when it was only tons a little more than one tenth of the exports in 1913 in 1919 19 19 however as more vessels became available for commerce the exports increased to tons As europe must import phosphate rock in large quantity to replenish her soils the outlook for the export of phosphate rock is becoming increasingly bright in 1918 1819 most of the high grade rock exported was sent to sweden and norway and much of the land pebble to england france and spain cuba and canada also were vere notable consumers of phosphate rock mined in the united states tables compiled from records of the bureau of foreign and domestic commerce show that in 1919 denmark was by far the largest importer of high grade phosphate rock from this country a and nd that sweden and germany stood in the second and third places england the netherlands and denmark took more than half the exports of land pebble england taking the largest quantity by a small margin |