| Show AUTHENTIC STATEMENT babben special to THE BABSON DISCUSSES A MOST BASIC INDUSTRY fertilizer DABSON BABSON PARK MASS every time it rains anywhere the water washes out muth much of the soils goodness it seeps through the ground to 10 the rivers and thence to the sea cea As a result the ocean is constantly getting richer and the land Js is getting poorer Ili history story of phosphate during millions or billions of years this has been taking place A small bay now a part of west central florida became a great chemical caldron here were cooked certain clays chemicals and the countless bones of animals from microscopic arthro and fish to veat great MAIn mammals malis including elephants and mastro dons and even huge whales the final result of the chemical reaction from these millions of 0 years of cooking is what we now call phosphate when mixed with the nitrogen of the air and the potash of the ocean this phosphate Is able to replace the good goodness nen of the soil which has been washed out hence has followed the mining of florida phosphate with the addition of nitrogen and potash this mixture re is sold old as fertilizer where fertilizer Is sold gold originally this fertilizer was sold only for use on the old farms and plantations of our 13 original states for years the lands of the midwest continued to have enough goodness to raise crops without fertilizers but now the demand tor this florida fertilizer Is gradually extending westward toward the rocky mountains it has been found that this phosphate is essential not only to crops plants and livestock but also to hien and women A man weighing pounds must have within him 1 IH pounds of phosphate phoso hate in order to keep in good health A pregnant woman is very deven dependent dent upon phosphate phoso hate in order to assure her baby good bones and teeth such a woman knows that otherwise the unborn child la Is robbing the mothers teeth causing decay in fact children living hear the phosphate mines have no cavities in their teeth furthermore arri armore wre the fluorine which preat great cities are now adding to their drinking water comes from florida phosphate demand for phosphate today phosphate is in demano demand not only for fertilizer but also as additives for over different foods baking powder prepared flour table salt water softeners soft eners and even tooth paste and the head of the comm common on match industrially tri ally phosphate finds its way into many diversified in destries dust dus rles tries in the making of aluminum steel and textiles as an additive for gasoline and motor oils also in the manufacture of photographic film and thousands of other products I 1 am told that even coca cola and pepsi cola use it certainly we could I 1 buy uy no orange luice juice until phosphate was fed to the trees As a result the phosphate industry has grown from a 8 Io oooo business 75 years QUO ago to a operation annually today employ ing thousands shousan ds of workers although some phosphate is mund in tennessee and in utah and foreign countries yet two thirds of the worlds now comes from florida loading leading companies Como anies in the INDUSTRY industry I 1 understand that the original company is the american agricultural chemical co which was started by the father of the industry peter B D bradley of new england next we find the international minerals mineral s and chemical co which has bas been developed by louis were ware and his able son thomas among the other eight are the virginia caro line lina chemical the american cyanamid and nd the davison plans now 0 operated rated by W R grace and co as wen well as the large packers s such as swift armour amour and others not hot only is phosphate essential to life of all kinds but it Is the basis of a growing business an increased demand for fertilizer should continue almost forever the florida supply should last eighty years every farmer who uses fertilizers may well buy a few shares of the stock of one of these listed companies see your banker for price dividend etc incidentally phosphates should be one of the very best hedges against inflation |
