New-York tribune., 1902-07-20

acid independent. The same thing may be done
with nitrate of potash. But except in the two
ways previously mentioned free nitrogen cannot
be made to combine with oxygen. The second
one the electric process. supplies the germinal
idea Of the industry which excited Lord
kelyin's enthusiasm. The work is carried at
Niagara Falls, with artificial lightning, by the
Atmospheric Products Company. of which
Charles s Bradley is president. For two years
the enterprise has been on an experimental ba-
SIS, but 1T length the details of the process
hav" been worked out to such Il point that
manufacturing for the trade is about to begin.
The mechanism to be employed is modified
form Of an arc. 1t has been decided. too that
a large number OF small arcs is more service
able than a few large ones. The possibilities of
what electricians call the 'disruptve discharge"
aad the brush discharge have been carefully
considered, hut the are has been adopted 10y
Mr.. Bradleys company
The first product Of the electric current is a
brvWnish liquid, to which no specific name has
been given, but which consists of two atoms Of
nitrogen ana three of oxygen. moIecule Of
nitrous acid contains one atom Of hydrogen
one Of nitrogen and two of oxygen BY adding
one nolecule of water TO one of that brownish
huid two mole ulss of nitrous acid may be read
IIy secured. The formula for nitric acid de
mands one more atom of oxygen than nitrous
ae.d contains. but this can Doe had without
trouble from water. Al the outset the company
viii probably coutue itself 70 the manufacture
OF these acids, bur el,her under the auspices II
that CORPORATION cr some one el-e's il Will ba
aH easy matter To- produce the various nitratrs
and niuitcs which needed in the arts ana In
agriculture. The vital and fundamental opera
u"n is rersuaaiug nitrogen and oxygen a. unite
In forming that brown fluid
The worlds consumrtIon Of nitric acid to-as,
SAYS Mr. Bradley, ia approximately loo oO0 tons
In the nature OF things the demand for IL must
steadily increase. The natural deposits OF salts
5f9m which IL has hitherto been derived
though, are likoly tc te exhausted before man,
y-ars The peri acton Of the new process
therefore, is an event of immense Importance 20
industry. This system too has unlimited re-
sources 20 drlv upou. Il is estimated that
Aere are 80 Ooo UOo cubic miles Of air earn
Of which contains GU0o0 tons OF nitrogen
and is the equivalent Of i.Couu0 tons Of nitric
acid.
Some conception OF the relation between the
new method of producing cheap fertilizer and
the worlds bread and butter may he obtained
srom the following citation from an address de-
hVered three or four years ago before the British
Association for the Advancement Of Science bv
Sir William Crookee. q chemist Of world ,-i1a
reputation. He had been considering the past.
present and future supply of wheat and said
mong other things:
The action Of nitrate Of soda iu Improving the
yield Of wheat has been studied by Sir Iobn
Lawes ana Sir Henry Gilbert on their cxperi-
mental farm at Eothamstcad. This field WAS
soWn with wheat for thirteen consecutive wears
without manure. and yielded an average of /
ll.9 bushels to the acre. For the next thirteen
years 1t was soWn with wheat. and dressed with
800 pounds Of nitrate Of soda per acre other
mineral constituents also being added The av-
crage yield for these years was HG bushels par
aCre-an increase Of 2i.5 In other words % ";
pounds Of nitrate Of soda produced an increase
Of one bushcl of wheat At this rate, to in
crease the worli crop of wheat by 7.3 bushels |
about 80 pounds OF nitrate OF soda must he n
Piled to each acre. The amount required TO raise
the worlds crop on 1630O0000 acres from the
present nt ZOdooUo'OoO bushels TO the required