NAURU AND OTHER PHOSPHATE ISLANDS IN THE PACIFIC (REPORT ON).

Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives, 1919 Session I, H-29b

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1919. NEW ZEALAND.

NAURU AND OTHER PHOSPHATE ISLANDS IN THE PACIFIC (REPORT ON).

Laid on the Table of the House of Representatives by Leave.

The President of the Board of Agriculture to the Right Hon. the Prime Minister. Dear Sir, — Board of Agriculture, Wellington, 4th September, 1919. The Board of Agriculture since its first meeting has been greatly impressed with the necessity of an assured and cheap supply of phosphates for New Zealand, especially so in the future, as the demand for phosphates all over the world is increasing to a very large extent. Every nation of the world is on the outlook for a supply of the raw material. The British Empire is not well supplied, and therefore it is in the interest of the Dominion that a supply for future use should be secured. In order to ascertain whether it was possible to secure other supplies of phosphate the Board requested you to ask Mr. Aston, Agricultural Chemist, to make a report, which he did after careful investigation in other countries. This confidential report on the phosphate-supplies from different parts of the world, which was sent to you in 1915, is a most valuable one. The history of the Island of Nauru is a romantic one, but it is outside a report of this nature to speak of it in that direction. The island was occupied by the Germans, and the right to mine for minerals was granted to the German Jaluit Company. This right, however, was never exercised, and it remained for an Englishman, Mr. A. F. Ellis, to ascertain by careful inspection that the island was rich in both alluvial and rock phosphate. His company, the Pacific Islands Company (subsequently the Pacific Phosphate Company), purchased the right to mine for minerals from the Jaluit Company for ninety-nine years—of which nineteen years have run—and a certain number of shares were allocated to German interests. The Pacific Islands Company at the same time secured the right to mine phosphates on Ocean Island from the British Government, one of the terms being that " at least two-thirds of the directors of the company must be British subjects." The company had a considerable number of trading-stations in the islands that were under German control, which the Germans were anxious to secure, and it was one of the inducements of the German authorities to give the English company the mining rights on Nauru Island in exchange for these. Nauru Island, which is more fully described in the report attached, is close to the Equator. Various estimates have been made of the quantity of phosphates it contains. Mr. Danvers Power, F.G.S., a noted mining engineer, who has written a report upon the phosphate islands of the Pacific generally, estimated the total quantity of phosphates available on the island at 42,000,000 tons. We feel sure that this estimate is a very conservative one, as Mr. Power himself said that there was no reason why it should not be largely increased, because at the time at his disposal he was only able to do a limited amount of prospecting. Information obtained from a very valuable source by the Board indicates that it might be reasonably assumed that anything from 80,000,000 to 100,000,000 tons are available, and possibly more. The quality of the phosphate is of the highest grade (85 to 86 per cent.), and it was stated in evidence that this island was the largest known quantity of high-grade phosphate in the world. The Pacific Phosphate Company, as has been stated, have the mining rights for Ocean Island, and hold an interest in a French company which, works the Makatea Island phosphate deposits. These two islands and Christmas Island may be expected to be worked out within the present generation. The phosphate on Nauru Island has much less rock than the others mentioned, and it is therefore more easily mined. The shipping conditions, too, seem to be more favourable, although the weather at times does interfere with loading operations. It may safely be said, therefore, that Nauru Island is the richest and best of the known phosphate islands of the world. The present output of the island has been somewhat interfered with by the war, but the average yearly production is now in the neighbourhood of 150,000 tons. With the present appliances this might be raised to 200,000 tons per annum. The customers for this supply have in the past been mainly Great Britain, Australia, California, and Japan. In Australia the ports

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of delivery have been Sydney, Melbourne, and Adelaide; Western Australia so far has been getting most of her phosphates from Christmas Island, that being the nearest source of supply. The New Zealand supply of raw phosphate has come from Makatea Island. The various distances between New Zealand and Australian ports and Nauru and Makatea Islands are as follows : — Nauru Island to Sydney ... ... ... ... ... 2,170 miles. Auckland ... ... ... ... ... 2,250 Wellington ... ... ... ... 2,660 Melbourne ... ... ... ... 2,800 Makatea Island to Sydney ... ... ... ... ... 3,440 ~ Auckland ... ... ... ... 2,.'140 ~ Wellington ... ... ... ... 2,440 Melbourne ... ... ... ... 3,830 The supply from Makatea Island, as has already been mentioned, has not a long life. The Hoard deems it therefore of the utmost importance that, while any arrangement made in connection with Nauru Island may not immediately cheapen phosphates for New Zealand, there is such an enormous deposit there that in securing a portion of the output it would (given reasonable control of the annual output) ensure for at least two hundred years a supply of this mineral, which is absolutely necessary for production in New Zealand, upon which so much depends. Another point which was brought under our notice was the supply of dolomite, which is necessary in the manufacture of mild steel, and which is available in quantity on Nauru Island. The Board therefore passed the following resolutions : — " That in the opinion of the Board of Agriculture it would be greatly to the advantage of New Zealand that the proposed agreement between the British Government and the Governments of Australia and New Zealand for the administration of Nauru Island, and for the distribution of phosphates from the island, be ratified." " It is essential to the continued well-being of the agricultural and pastoral industries of New Zealand that a continued adequate supply of phosphate be assured for as long a period as possible. All the information available points to the fact that, with the exception of Nauru Island, the higher-grade phosphate deposits in the Pacific will be worked out within the next generation if their usual yearly output is continued. Nauru Island is relatively adjacent to New Zealand ; it contains by far the largest deposit of any Pacific island —in fact, is believed fo possess the largest deposit of high-grade phosphates in the world—and at its present rate of output could continue supplies for at least two hundred years. " The Board is of opinion that a satisfactory arrangement under which New Zealand is ensured a sufficient proportion of the output from Nauru, as outlined by the Right Hon. the Prime .Minister, would be of the greatest, value to farmers and to the community generally. It may be that, for a, few years to come, these exceptionally highgrade Nauru Island phosphates cannot be sold at lower prices than phosphates of approximately equal quality derived from other sources. The controlled supply, which should prevent the annual output being so increased for the benefit of countries outside the Empire as to unduly shorten the existence of the deposits, and the consequent assurance of it being available for so long a period, further renders the proposed arrangement most, valuable, and the Board trusts that the necessary steps may be taken to make it effective." The Board in making inquiries gathered a considerable amount of valuable information concerning shipping and the working-conditions on the island, &c, which are available if necessary. Attached is a report and information from publications in. the possession of Mr. Aston, Agricultural Chemist, in connection with the phosphate islands, together with a further report from him as to the need, of a supply of phosphate for the Dominion's requirements. Tours faithfully, James (1. Wilson, The Right Hon. the Prime Minister. President of the Board.

REPORT ON PHOSPHATE ISLANDS. Wellington, 3rd September, 1919. HEREWITH is a transcript of notes taken from the work in German, " Corallogene Phosphat-Inseln Austral-Oceaniens und ihre Produkte," by Carl Elschner, 1913, and some additional notes from Fritsch's work, " The Manufacture of Chemical Manures," 1911. Due allowance must be made in. considering some of the statements made by Elschner In (he fact that he is a German and therefore probably intensely partisan. In considering these extracts I should also like to refer you to my confidential report, dated the 27th November, 1914, to the Prime Minister on the result of my inquiries into phosphates while travelling in 1914. 1 would also like to point out that the occurrence of dolomite —a mixture of approximately equal parts of the carbonates of calcium and magnesium —■may lie useful in (he iron-smelting industry in New Zealand. B. C. Aston, Chemist. The Director-General, Department of Agriculture, Industries, and Commerce, Union Chambers, Wellington.

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The Chief Phosphate Islands of the Pacific. Introductory. One of the advantages of the Pacific island phosphates over other phosphates is that owing to their purity they contain no chemical qualities which diminish their value in manufacturing into commercial manures. The phosphate of Nauru is, for instance, better than that of any other island for making superphosphate. The most valuable of the Pacific islands are Ocean Island (British —first worked in' 1901), in the Gilbert Island Group ; Nauru (German —first worked in. 1906), in the Marshall Island Group; Makatea (French), in the Paumotu Archipelago; Angaur, west of the Carolines, in the Palau Group. The other phosphate-yielding islands are small islands —Christmas Island excluded—and are not to be compared in importance with the first three mentioned. Nauru Island. Nauru is to every one one of the most interesting islands. Geologically it has a remarkable formation, being of great age, as shown by the fossils present, the remarkable structure of the coral reefs arranged round a central lagoon, and the unprecedented value of the phosphate present on the island. Dolomite (a lime-magnesia carbonate), which forms a reef round the outside of the island, is evidence of the great age of the island, as the change of one-half of the calcium carbonate of the coral into magnesium carbonate by the action of sea-water indicates that a great time must be allowed for its formation. Nauru is unprecedented in character, and it is unlikely that a second island similar to this will bo discovered. The. dolomitization of the corals, and the relation of the phosphatic solutions to the decomposed coral debris, is of great interest to the theory of the formation of coral islands. Nauru before the war belonged to Germany, the Administrator being subject to the Officer in Charge of the Caroline Islands. There are 1,200 Natives on the island, who own the phosphate lands. The Natives are a beautiful, intelligent, and powerful race of men, and before the Germans took charge were most warlike. Since being deprived of their arms opposition has disappeared, and they now live contentedly under white Government as a friendly, happy people. The Native speech of Nauru is not spoken on any other of the South Sea Islands, but shows some relation to that of the Gilbert Islands. There appears to be a certain mixed influence of European blood in the Nauru race—probably derived from visiting whalers and traders. The race is in this respect quite different from that of any other South Sea Island. The powerful physique of the islanders, together with a tendency towards embonpoint with a European strain, reminds one of Ihe Tahiti race. The Bible has been translated into the Nauru dialect by the missions attached to lire island. Nauru is situated in 0"33 south, 16655 east (another authority—Fritsch, 1911—states, 026 south). There is a driving-road right round the island, 17 kilometres long. The island is surrounded by a reef 70 to 100 miles broad, though this occasionally extends 125 miles into the ocean. There is a belt of flat land, 550 hectares (a hectare equals 24711. acres), round the high land of the island, representing an elevated wall of coral-sand debris and rubbish, whilst 1,720 hectares belong to the high land, which rises for the most part from the flat land ring. Reef and flat land consist of the carbonate of lime of young coral; in the east is dolomite. The flat land is richly planted in coconut plantations belonging to the inhabitants, generally yielding good crops. The lagoon Buada, an interior lagoon surrounded by high hills containing an almost fresh water, and employed by the inhabitants for fish-breeding, is also surrounded with coconut-palms. The lagoon rises above the level of the sea. The ebb and flow of the sea shows a certain reaction on the water-level of the Buada. The phosphate deposits were worked by the Pacific Phosphate Company, of London, who have obtained the right to work the German Jaluit Company. Most of the workmen employed are Caroline Islanders, but Chinese are also employed. The white officials are Australian, English, Scotch, Swedes, and Germans. There are few birds, -so that further formation of phosphate is out of the question. In the high lands, which contain chains of hills, large rocks and several depressions, descending almost to sea-level, occur. In tin: north, in a depression a little higher than the level of the Buada, there are collected extraordinarily hard masses of rocks, consisting of dolomitized coral, which, like all dolomites, are strongly cavernous and full of small, but also contain larger, hollows. By far the greater part of the phosphate lies in a movable condition (" shovellable ") upon the coral rock. Between the pillar-like dolomitic rocks, and which are cemented to the country rock, and which in Ocean Island are known as " pinnacle," upon the high- land — i.e., in the phosphate, which is only mixed with humus to 1 ft. to 1-J ft. deep—grow pandanus and other shrubs and bushes. The vegetation is tolerably highly developed. During the last five years a spear-grass has appeared. Besides this and another grass there are few • ii-aniinacese, but several Leguminosye, which do very well on account of the high lime and phosphate content. They (mostly beans) take possession during the period of rains. There is also a fig-tree which yields a rubber-milk juice. It thrives well, as do also some of the gourd family. Nauru may be said to be well supplied with vegetation, giving the island a very friendly appearance from the sea. Tamanu belongs to the Calophyllums. F. Danvers Power published a book, " Phosphates of Ocean and Pleasant Islands," which contains the results of an interesting journey by Power and Stephen to the islands. Dolomitization of coral: It is not possible to explain this process in nature. Many attempts to make dolomitic spar experimentally have succeeded, but the conditions necessary for this do not occur in nature. Artificial production of dolomite has to be carried out at high temperatures; these do not occur on any of the coral islands, where the temperature is 35-40° C. in the shade. Investigators have worked at from 200° to red heat in their experimental conversion of coral into dolomite. The dolomite of Nauru, which is always mixed with coral, gives

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the reaction for calcite very frequently. The hollows occurring in the cavities are filled with calc-spar crystals. Nauru is thus —so far as can be judged without costly boring experiments— a pure coral island, built on a volcanic island of massive tuff, which now is found at a considerable depth, and about which coral reefs are built, not taking into account newer reefs in dolomitized area throughout its depth, and is now covered with phosphate deposits. A. removal of the calcium carbonate, and to a less extent of the magnesia carbonate, is still taking place through the action of water. This solution in the past pre-phosphate time was the cause of the large irregular fields and hollows. The formation and extension of the hollows is still taking place, whilst, owing to the phosphates lying above, the further formation of depressions is limited, although lime and dolomite are being dissolved from the upper strata. In the water-basins nearly all the phosphate is in the form of coarse sand or gravel, although very often there are large lumps of conglomerate and breccia. Analysis of samples: The composition of the phosphate of the Pinnacles is 841 per cent, of tricalcic phosphate. A sample taken 22 ft. deep, under high-grade phosphate, gave 85*05 per cent. A phosphate boulder obtained from a big deposit, 16 ft. deep, gave 879 per cent. Another boulder from a depth of 8 ft. gave 88-7 per cent. A phosphate boulder from 10 ft. in the interior of the island gave 86"9 per cent. A hard phosphate from a selected pure boulder field, 12 ft. deep, covered with white chalk-like matter, gave 901 per cent. In one variety of phosphate one could scarcely believe from its appearance that one had a phosphate, it is so like a silicate, "phosphate agate." "Agate jaspar " is the term which one would use to denote its similarity to other minerals. This material is hard and very brittle, and is probably a colloid separated material. It is called " nauruite " |Ca 3 (PO 4 ) 2 ] 3 Ca(HO) 2 CaF 2 . The agate-like varieties of the mineral contain 1J per cent. (Fc 2 o : . and A1 2 0 3 ) alumina and iron oxide. Almost all the phosphatic particles are surrounded by nauruite, though this is very thin in low-grade phosphate containing less than 85 per cent. There is a nucleus in all the phosphatic nodules and pisolitic bodies. The author is inclined to give the formula (Ca 3 P2O B ) X (CaO, Ca(OH) 2 , CaF 2 ) where x equals any number from 3 to 5 as a general formula for all Nauru phosphate. The coral-sand has 4 per cent, of phosphate in it. Phosphates of calcium, rich in iron and alumina phosphate, are unmarketable, but phosphate containing iron phosphate and a little calcium can be changed into marketable products. Nauru phosphate now going to Europe is in the form of a gravel mixed with little dust and pieces varying in size from a lentil up to an egg. Cargoes have a moisture content of 2to 4 per cent. There is some breaking down of the phosphate on the island before drying to a very slight extent on Nauru. In the reduction of the rock phosphate it is not desired to break it up finely. In the construction of a ball or other mill for breaking. Nauru phosphate one should be selected in which the breaking takes place in the lower part near the outlet. For a breaker there should be the greatest amount of movement where the material is ejected ; otherwise there would be much balling together of the particles, much more than would be the case with basalt or quartz rocks, for instance. A ball mill is to be preferred to a " backen breker." Fritsch ("The Manufacture of Chemical Manures," 1911) thus refers to Nauru guano: " Nauru Isle, attached to the German Protectorate of the Marshall Isles, is in 026 of S. latitude and 166-55 of E. longitude. Whilst the atolls of the Pacific scarcely rise 3 metres (10 ft.) above high water, the Isle of Nauru rises about 75 metres, with an area of 2,000 hectares (5,000 acres). A bank of coral chains 60 to 90 metres wide (1956 ft. to 2952 ft.) go right round the island. To that succeeds a flat zone 100 metres wide, covered with coconut-trees; behind rises a rocky region, which consists of a mass of phosphate of great richness. No one knows the depth of this deposit, but the beds known are so extensive that their working may last for several generations. The quality of this phosphate would appear to be superior to that of all the phosphates known up to now, both as regards the richness and regularity of the phosphoric-acid content (86 to 87 per cent. Ca 3 P 2 0 8 ) as well as the small proportion of oxide of iron and alumina. A good part of the exports of Nauru phosphate goes to countries washed by the waves of the Pacific—Japan Australia, New Zealand, and Honolulu; but France, Belgium, Great Britain, Sweden, Norway, Russia, and especially Germany likewise import large quantities." Use of the Pacific Islands Phosphate in making Superphosphate, Nauru phosphate is better than any other phosphate for making superphosphate. Christmas Island comes near, and Ocean, Anguar, and Makatea phosphates are satisfactory. Nauru phosphate works very satisfactorily as regards the consumption of sulphuric acid in making super. At first tlie superphosphate is very susceptible to pressure, running together into hard lumps. The amount of acid consumed is comparatively small. The chemical change in the mixer and chamber takes place quickly and completely, so that a 19 to 19| per cent, superphosphate from an 84 to 86 per cent, phosphate, and a 20 to 208 per cent, superphosphate from an 86 to 865 per cent, phosphate are obtained. It has to be borne in mind that these phosphates contain more calcium than is represented by Ca 3 (P0 4 ) a , and for this plus lime account must be taken in apportioning the amount of acid required. In Ocean Island phosphate mention is made occasionally of the adverse influence of fluorine; nothing of this kind happens with Nauru phosphate, as no silicon tetra-fluoride results. The disappearance of acid in the mixture takes place so quickly that very little fluorine gases evolve, since the fluorine content is very small. In comparison with the North African phosphate that of Nauru is most intimately mixed with the carbonate, which is of great, advantage in manufacturing. One could safely estimate Ito 11 per cent, as the maximum iron and alumina in Nauru Island shipments. As much as 2 per cent, would make no appreciable influence on a Nauru superphosphate manufacture. About half of the oxides is present as iron sesquioxide. There is no fear of the reversion of the water-soluble phosphate as long as it has been properly made.

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Ocean Island. Ocean Island, in the British Protectorate of the Gilbert Group, is in latitude 062 S. and longitude 169 E. It is almost oval, and five or six nautical miles round. This is a dreary rock in comparison with Nauru—a little overgrown with pandanus-trees and coconut-palms. For twelve years it was the scene of a great mining scheme whose production was greater than that of Nauru, but will probably become less. The phosphate is rather easier to work than that of Nauru, and the island contains 15,000,000 tons of phosphate of tolerably uniform, quality, and corresponding on the dry substance to 85-25 (o 8675 per cent, of tricalcic phosphate. As in the ease of Nauru, the greater part goes to Australia and Japan, Nauru and Ocean, have gone through similar geological history. While on Nauru 1 to 3 per cent, of the phosphate consists of pieces twice as big as a fist up to big blocks, flint on Ocean Island which occurs between the pinnacles is in the form of not only loose gravel and sand but for the greater part of loose coral rock, which can generally be split up with the pickaxe. On Nauru, on the contrary, the pickaxe is seldom made use of. On Ocean Island the greater' part of the phosphate may be best put through a, breaker. There is a great lack of water on Ocean Island, and before the company provided condensers there was often a crying want of water. There are five hundred inhabitants belonging to the Gilbert Islands, but they are somewhat darker in -colour. The winning of the phosphate, although easily broken up with a tomahawk, requires more working than Nauru phosphate. The material has to be shovelled into baskels running on top of wagons on portable rails. It is often difficult to get phosphates from between the rocks forming deep shafts, canons, and crevasses into the wagons on the surface. Phosphates are won in this way from a depth of 50 ft. The ease of working in the past must have been very much greater than it is now. The island has a desolate appearance. The fluorine content of Ocean Island is somewhat higher than that of Nauru. This was much discussed some years ago. The author was not able to find bromine or iodine in Ocean Island phosphate. Ocean Island phosphates contain less iron and alumina than those of Nauru—generally less than o'6 per cent. Ocean Island is gradually rising. lire island is subject to rapid erosion by the sea. Power quotes an example : platforms rrsed for the huts of Natives are now so near the waves that—standing directly on steep cliffs — at present no one dare live in the huts, which are being undermined. The analysis of two samples of the phosphate dried at 100° C. gave 859 per cent, and 85"3 per cent. Cai ;i (P0 4 ) 2 . The banded hard phosphate agates are better developed in Ocean than in Nauru Island, Angaur Island. Angaur is supposed to have from 300,000 to 600,000 tons of phosphate, ranging from 81 to 836 per cent. In this connection, however, Fritseh ("The Manufacture of Chemical Manures," 1911) states: "Angaur Island phosphate: The deposits of Angaur Island phosphate comprise about 2,500,000 tons, which may be, extracted in the open. Four-fifths of the deposit consist of a phosphate with a content of 80 per cent, of tribasic phosphate of lime. Working reserve for thirty-five years to a German company with a capital of 4,500,000 marks (say, £225,000)." Makatea Island,. Makatea Island, which is 130 miles north-east of Tahiti, is a coral reef, 7i-km. long, 3J, km. broad—approximately the same area as Nauru Island. In comparison with the other islands of the Paumotu Archipelago, Makatea is elevated, and rises from 50 to 76 metres above the sea. It contained formerly one hundred inhabitants, Natives of Polynesia. A French company works the island. Tire chief deposit contains 80 to 85 per cent, phosphate of lime. There is a ph.osph.atic sand in the neighbourhood of Hie beach—7o to 72 per cent. In 1910 400,000 tons of high-grade phosphate was shipped. It is only on account of the high quality of the Makatea phosphate that it could be shipped to compete with that of Florida and North Africa. At first at Makatea there was no assessor, and there were troubles with the Natives. At Makatea there is a pier 300 metres long, an elevating-work 200 metres, and extensive rock roading. There are several kilometres of railwa}'. The mooring-buoys are anchored, 400 metres deep. Analysis of the rocks shows 3788 per cent, phosphoric acid, analysed in Paris, nndried 3868 per cent., dried at 100° C. In both cases there was an excess of lime over that required to form Fritseh says, ' There has been discovered in the Island of Makatea deposits of phosphate containing, according to the analyses made, from 60 to 85 per cent, and even 90 per cent, of pure phosphate of lime. Makatea Island belongs to the Paumotu Archipelago, and lies 120 miles to the north of Tahiti. It is four miles and a half long and one mile and a half wide. Its formation differs from all the other islands of the Paumotu Group in that it has no lagoon, and rises up to 230 ft., whilst the otherislands are simply chains of an average of 8 ft. above sea-level. Phosphate has been found in several of these atolls, especially that of Niau. Guano has also been found in Pukapuka, in the extreme north-west of the group. The deposits of Makatea are estimated at 30,000,000 tons, anil will be exploited by a French company." Maiden Island. Maiden Island is worked, but is not suitable for making into super, as the Maiden phosphate is a very greedy consumer of sulphuric acid. It is a low-grade phosphate, and the price in Australia is high enough to exclude its manufacture into super. The best phosphate was long ago removed from Maiden Island, but Elschner believes that it is still worked by Greiss and Co. It is ten miles long, flat, with a lagoon in the interior. Originally the rock was 78"3 per cent.; at present it. is 66 - I per cent. There are gypsum deposits on the island.

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Walpole Island. Walpole Island (off New Caledonia), a French possession, was worked by a company, and was a failure. There is a possibility that this failure was due to lack of expert management. Christmas Islands. Christinas Island, which is not to be confounded with an island of the same name in Java which is also phosphatic, is a desolate island. The soil is soaked with, salts, which even penetrate to the juice of the coconuts. The guano and phosphate there is very impure. Fritseh ("The Manufacture of Chemical Manures," 1911, writing of the other Christmas Island, states : " Christmas Island phospho-guano (Indian Ocean) : Christinas Island, to the south of Java, belongs to the Straits Settlement. The phosphate deposit discovered there a few years ago is wrought by a British company, the Christmas Island Phosphate, Company (Limited). The total, bulk of this deposit is estimated at 250,000 tons, with a percentage of 60 to 90 of phosphate of lime. The samples received in Europe tested 85 per cent, of phosphate of lime, with I - 5 per cent, of sesquioxides; rendered soluble by sulphuric acid at 53° 8., yielded about 20 per cent, of phosphoric, of which 0"5 per cent, was insoluble, in water, and 4 per cent, of free acid, which is little. This phosphate is very hard, but easy to crush when it is dry or dried, which is indispensable, as it contains 5 per cent, of moisture." ('Upper/ on Isla nd. Clipperton Island (off the coast of Mexico) is difficult to work owing to the bad weather and currents. There is apparently much phosphate of 78 per cent. The right to work this island is in the hands of the Pacific Phosphate Company. The phosphate is a coarse yellow-grey powder, also stones. It is an uncommon case of a coral island built round a trachyte crater. Surprise Island. Surprise Island (New Caledonia) contains phosphate embedded in coral sand, and phosphate sandstone in the form of big blocks, rich in iron and 55 to 65 per cent, phosphate. THE NKCESSITY OF PHOSPHATES TO THE NEW ZEALAND FARMER. Bth September, 1919. The function of phosphates in agriculture is to supply this most important constituent of the ash of plants and the bodies of animals, the bones of which are mainly composed of calcium phosphate. Phosphates, as a plant-food, stimulate root-action and hasten the maturing of the plant. In. shallow-rooted plants and those with a feeble root-system, such as turnips, phosphates greatly stimulate the young plant past, the stage at which it is most attacked by its enemies. It would be practically impossible after the first burn to grow a good turnip crop on an average New Zealand soil without the use of phosphates. Phosphates have a most beneficial effect on all clovers and leguminous fodder plants, and thus indirectly increase the store of nitrogenous organic matter in the soil. The improvement of poor pasture by phosphates is probably the most important part they play in increasing the productiveness of New Zealand lands. The effects of phosphates in raising the quality and feedingvalue of the crop are very great. The most nutritious pastures in England and the best dairy pastures in France are those richest in phosphates, and this holds good in New.Zealand. In the North Island there arc large areas of country which, owing to the well-distributed rainfall, are well suited for dairying. On account of the deficiency of phosphates, however, this may not be practicable under the present system unless a good phosphates-supply is assured. Tn fact, the North Island largely owes its prosperity and rapid development to the use of phosphates, the northern land being generally deficient in available phosphates. An example of the successful use of phosphates producing good dairying country out of poor country is that of Matamata, portions of which, owing to the heavy phosphatic manuring, are now yielding as much milk as the best Taranaki land. On account of the high cost of handling fertilizers in New Zealand it is desirable that as high a grade of phosphate should be used as possible. Thus a source yielding an 85-per-cent. phosphate should be more suitable than that giving a 60-per-cent. phosphate, and by using the high-grade fertilizer the cost of bagging, freight, cartage, storage, and handling is' largely reduced. Finally, the fact that the New Zealand farmer finds it necessary to pay about half a million pounds sterling per annum on phosphates should be sufficient indication of the importance of phosphates to New Zealand agriculture under the present system of manuring. Other References. —Bulletins 48 and 54 (New Series) of the Department of Agriculture deal fully with the value and use of phosphates in New Zealand. B. C. Aston, Chemist. The Director-General, Department of Agriculture, Industries, and Commerce, Union Chambers, Wellington.

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