Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1908-02-14

] line was we'll represented by foreign
and domestic exhibits. The live stock
and poultry exhibits according to the
printed catalogue numbered 1923
alone, so take the fair as whole, it
made very creditable show; particu-
larly taking into account the small
ness of the agricultural resources of
Norway
One of the most interesting exhibits
of the fair was probably the exhibit
of the new fertilizer product, pro-
cess discovered by scientists in Nor
way, (Burkland and Eyde) manufac-
tured out of air by cleaving the air
er divided into small chambers by
perforated limestone slabs through
which water is run and in which air.
spaces, by means Of strong electric
sparks, cleaving the air, the product
of calcium nitrate is made to precipi-
tate and crystalize; the product is
then put into wooden barrels and
sold at Kr. 5000 or $3.50 per 100
pounds and is distributed on the
| fields by means Of broadcast or drill
seeder at the rate of 20 to 40 pounds
per acre, according to the require
ments of the soil. This fertilization.
it is said, will last several years and
promises to give the old worn.out
farm lands of the world new life and
value. The commercial name Of this
new product is lime-saltpeter, which
in looks and quality is similar to
Chile Saltpeter. which is the staple
fertilizer of Europe today and Chile
Saltpeuer is brought from the natural
deposits found in Chile, which beds
have been operated for the past 60
years and Of which the world is now
| using one and one-half million tons
for fertilizing purposes annually, and
of which France and Great Britain
together use one million tons a year.
Chile saltpeter has steadily increased
in price since it was first discovered
| in Chile In 1860 and is now selling at
retail in Europe for $3.50 per cwt.
The saltpeter beds of Chile are said
to be nearing exhaustion and that in
SO years it will be thing of the past.
II this new artifically prod
llime-saltpeter will do what is claimed
for it, the fertilizing proposition is
solved and the new product, being
cheaper, will supplant Chile saltpeter
and it's supply will be inexhaustible
as long as the world has an atmos-
phere.
| A large corporation with $4,000, 900
(French and Norwegian capital has
now large factory, for manufacture
of the new product in full operation
in Notodden, where is located one Of
the largest water falls in Norway
and where the. largest electric gener-
ator in the world is now installed and
operated by the power of the falls.
The fisheries of Norway, generally
thought of as the largest industry of
the country, only amounts to about
80 million Kroner per year, or equal to
about million dollars in our money.
Most of the fish, is sold and shipped
in salted or dried state to the Catho-
lie countries of Europe and America.
The forestry of Norway yields near
ly 10 million dollars in exports per an
nun; while the income from shipping
amounts to a great deal more. Man
ufacturing Industries generally are
developing rapidly and Norway's fut-
ure in that respect is bright. Eng
lands early superiority in manufac-
turing is largely accounted for by her
coal deposits, hence cheap motive
power, and good water ways. Nor
ways fjords are also open the year
round and are deep and roomy and by
converting the power of the thou
sands of waterfalls now going to waste
along the coast, into electric power at
deep water sites, where factories can
be built, the raw material brought to
the factory door by water, the cheap
est transportation known, manufac-
tured by the cheapest motive power
known, reloaded and shipped by
water to the markets Of the world.
Norway may yet become a formidable
manufacturing nation.
Large electrical works are already
established at some Of the waterfalls,
and electricity is distributed as far as
25O miles, from one place owned by
German capital, and sold as low as 81
per horsef power per year and 16 can
die power incandescent light service
at five to nine cents per light per
month, according to distance. How
ever, the government of Norway
seems in some respects to pursue a
narrow policy of late, having passed a
law that alien capital can only hold a
minority interest in shares or bonds
% corporation in Norway and that all
waterfalls will revert to the govern
ment after one hundred years. The
idea being that the government shall
ultimately receive the revenue from
the waterfalls, as they are developed
and the power is utilized.
The most amusing thing in Dakota
politics for many a day was to watch
Tom Roberts and little Mcleod and
Col. Dick Woods of Fall River coun-