The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1911-11-13
PORT
OF Potash Salts into the
United States is Very
Large.

Id
WASHINGTON, Nov. 13.-The re-
cent announcement by the Department
OF Agriculture and from other sources
regarding discoveries OF large sup
plies of potash in the United States
lends interest to a statement prepared
by the Bureau Of Statistics, Depart
ment Of Commerce and Labor, show
ing that the importation OF potash
salts, are running at the rate OF over
million dollars month and has
aggregated since 1900 approximately
seventy-Ave million dollars. While
these potash salts enter the country
in various forms and thus under var
ious titles, including murtate OF pot
ash, suIphate Of potash, carbonate OF
potash, kainit etc, their aggregate
import value in the nine months end
ing with September, 1911, was eleven
/! and one half million dollars. against
about seven million In the cores
ponding months of 1910 and little
over i've million in the corresponding
months OF 1909, thus indicating
steady and rapid growth in the I'M
portation OF this class of products
Taking the agures for fiscal years
the total for 1911 was fourteen mill
lion dollars, compared with less than
twelve million in 1910, less than four
million in 1900 ana less than two
million in 1890
The principal classes of potash
salts imported into the United States
are, in the order of magnitude OF I'M
ports in the fiscal year 1911; ka1ntt'
800 million pounds; muriate Of pot
ash. 431 million pounds; sulphate OF
potash, 106 million. pounds; carbon
ate of potash, 90 million pounds; nj
trate OF potash, or crude saitpeter
million pounds; caustic potash
million pounds; and all other salts OF
potash, million pounds. Measured
by value the largest tmportations
during the year occurred in the murt-
ate, six and one halE million dollars;
kainit, two and two thirds million;
the s1lphate, nearly two million; and
the carbonate, three-quarters or q
million doIlars.s
American farms absorb large pro
portion Of the imported potash salts
most OF which are valuable as ferti-
lizers by reason OF their large con-
tent OF potash This g especially true
OF kainit, muriate of potash, and the
sulphate OF potash. Nitrate Of potash
or crude saItpeter. Is chiefly used In
the manufacture OF gunpowder and
nitric acid; caustic potash, In the
manufacture OF soap; and carbonate
of potash, or potash as popularity
called, obtained largely from the
ashes Of certain land and marine
plants, is used in the manufacture OF
soft soap, for cleaning purposes. IN
dyeing, and for the emulsifying OF
oils: while the chemical and other In
dustries utilize the foregoing and
other potash salts in the preparation
OF drugs and medicines and in otnoF
technical processes.
Germany is the chief source OF
kaintt and, indeed, OF all the imported
potash salts except crude saltpeter'
OF the nuriate imported in 1911, 43l
r. illion pounds, Germany supplied all
except three and one quarter million
pounds received from Belgium and
one aud one-half million pounds from
the United Kingdom, most OF which
was, in each case, presumably OF
German origin. Practically all the
imports OF suphate OF potash are from
Germany, and OF the twenty-thrcc
million pounds OF carbonate Of pot
ash imported in the last fiscal year
Germany is credited with sixteen mil
lion pounds, compared with less than
half that sum from all other Europ-
can countries. In the case OF nitrate
Of potash, or crude saltpeter, how
ever, British India is the chief
source, that country being credited
with over nine million pounds out OF
a total importation OF nine and one
quarter million pounds in the fiscal
year which ended June 80, 1911.