Morris tribune., 1898-11-12


.nu supply mag last possibly 90 years
at the rate of 1000, 600 tons year,
| but at the rate required to augment the
worlds supply Of wheat to the point
demanded 30 years hence it will not
last more than four years. So new
source of nitrogen is indispensable.
Sir William Crookes says that this can
only be in the atmosphere.
| In its free state nitrogen is one OF
the most abundant and pervading bodies
ON the face of the earth. Every square
yard of the earths surface has nitrogen
gas pressing down on it to the extent Of
about seven tons, but this is IN the free
state and wheat demands it fixed. To
convey this idea in an object lesson,
may tell you that, previous to its de-
struction by fire, Colston hall, measur
ing 146 feet by so feet by 20 feet, con-
| tanned 81 tons weight of nitrogen in
its atmosphere. 1t also contained one
third of a ton of aIgon. In the free
gaseous state this nitrogen is worthless.
Combined in the form of nitrate of soda
| it would be worth about SO, 600. For
years past attempts have been made to
effect the fixation of atmospheric nitro
gen, and Some of the processes have met
with sufficient partial success to war
rant experimentalists in pushing their
trials still further, but | think | am
right in saying that no process has yet
been brought to the notice of scientific
or commercial men which can be con-
sidered successful either as regards cost
or yield of product. F"
This successful f1xation of atmos-
pheric nitrogen, then, is to solve the
vexed question. And, according to Sir
William Crookes:
1.-The fixation of nitrogen is ques-
tion of the not far distant future. Let
me see if it is not possible even now to
solve the momentous problem. As far
back as 1892 exhibited at one of the
soirees Of the Royal society an expert
ment on The Flame of Burning Nitro
gen. / showed that nitrogen is com
bustible gas, and the reason why when
once ignited the fame does not spread
through the atmosphere and deluge the
world in sea of nitric acid is that its
igniting point is higher than the tenn
perature of its fiame-not therefore hot
enough to set fire to the adjacent mix
ture. But by passing strong induction
current between terminals the air takes
fire and continues to burn with pow
erful fame, producing nitrous and nj
trio acids. This inconsiderable expert
ment may not unlikely lead to the de-
velopment of mighty industry, des-
tined to solve the great food problem.
With the object of burning out nitrogen
from air SO as to leave argon behind,
Lord Rayleigh fitted up apparatus for
performing the operation on larger
scale and succeeded in effecting the IN
ion of 20. 4 grams of mixed nitrogen and
oxygen at an expenditure of one horse
power. Following these figures, it
would require one board of trade unit
to form IA grams of nitrate of soda, and
therefore Ia, 600 units to form enc ton.
To generate electricity in the ordi-
nary way with steam engines and dyna-
mos it is now possible, with a steady
load night and day and engines working
at maximum efficiency. to produce cur
rent at cost Of one third of penny
per board of trade unit At this rate one
ton of nitrate of soda would cost SIG.
But electricity from coal and steam en-
gines is too costly for large industrial
purposes A. Niagara. where water
power is used, electricity can be sold al
a profit for one-seventeenth of a penny
per board CT trade unit. At this rate
nitrate of soda would cost not more than
G5 per ton. But nitrate of soda is lin
tied in quantity and will soon be ex
hausted Human ingenuity can contend
even with these apparently hopeless
difficulties Nitrate can be produced
artifcialIy by the combustion of the
atmosphere. Here we come to finality
in one direction. Our stores are mex.
haustihle But how about electricity?
Can we generate enough energy to pro-
duce 12, 000 900 tons Of nitrate Of soda
annually?
"A preliminary calculation shows
that there need be no fear on that score.
Niagara alone is capable of supplying
the required electrical energy without
much lessening it's mighty flow. The
future can take care of itself. The arti-
fetal production of nitrate is clearly
within view, and by it's aid the land &c,
voted to wheat can be brought up to the
80 bushels per acre standard. In days
to come when the demand may again
sovertake supply we may safely leave
our successors to grapple with the stu
pendous food problem. And in the next
generation, instead of trusting mainly
to foodstuffs which flourish in temper
ate climates, we probably shall trust
more and more to the exuberant food
stuffs Of the tropics, where, instead OF
one yearly sober harvest, jeopardized
by any shrinkage of the seanty Says of
summer weather or of the few steady
inches of rainfall, nature annually sup
plies heat and water enough to ripen
two or three successive crops of food
stuffs in extraordinary abundance. To
mention one plant alone, Humboldt
from what precise statistics / know not
computed that, acre for acre, the food
productiveness of the banana is 1873
times that of wheat. The unripe banana,
before its starch is converted into sugar,
-. 4 \