Show PROFITABLE DUST BOWL I i Idaho Cashes Cash s in on Phosphate Out in hi Idaho they have a dust bowl th that t not only is not worrying the good people of that state but stands to bring them in a lot of money They're even planning for its expansion expansion expansion ex ex- ex- ex for in that dusty sage sage- covered brush-covered expanse of land lies 60 per cent of the known American supply of phosphate rock source of phosphorous one of the three primary primary primary mary plant foods Experts say that the dusty treasure treasure treasure treas treas- ure which Idaho is shipping here and there in an widening ever-widening range holds the key to a new and broader agricultural economy in the entire intermountain and Pacific West In ages past the Rocky mountain area of southeastern Idaho north north- eastern Ut Utah h and southwestern Wyoming Wyoming Wyoming Wyo Wyo- ming was a tropical playground for countless prehistoric monsters In passing on to whatever reward was in store for them these monsters bequeathed themselves to posterity in the form of rock phosphate some six billion tons of which are estimated estimated estimated esti esti- mated to be underground in that Wyoming Utah sector Prior to 1934 use of phosphate inthe in inthe inthe the West was negligible The rich volcanic soil w was was s in little need of fortification Also the limited supplies supplies supplies sup sup- plies of the commercially manufactured manufactured manufactured fertilizer were being used almost almost almost al al- al- al most exclusively in the eastern and southern states Then during World War II one Idaho landholder J J. J R. R Simplot be be- came worried because he could not obtain sufficient fertilizer for his vast farm lands So in the spring of 1944 he began construction of his own plant in Poca- Poca tello Originally designed to turn out tons annually Simplot's plant has been expanded to the point where now it is producing tons a year of 1118 18 per cent super super- phosphate The 18 per cent means that when the phosphate rock has been pulverized to dust and treated with sulphuric acid 18 per cent of the phosphoric acid in the rock is made available for use by growing plants |