The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1912-07-27
AMERICA IN Sc.
new SOU

Not more than a few weeks ago the,
potash controversy with Germany vase
finally settled by what appears to be a
complente surrender of the American in,
terests to the dictates of the German
syndicate. The Americans agreed to an
annulment of their existing contracts
with certain individual members of the
German syndicate in exchange for far
less favorable contracts with the cartel
which, backed by the Government, mono
poles the entire INDUSTRY. Whatever
may have been the merits of the case
for there Is much to be said on either
side-Germany held the trump cards.
Without potash no plant can thrive, and
Germany holds the monopoly of this in
dispense BILE mineral But, If Mr.. Guy
Elliott Mitchell, of the United States Geo
logical Survey is right, the United States
will get even with Germany before long.
Americans, he remarks in the American
Review of Reviews, are loath to pass
under the yoke, and vigorous measures
have been instituted to find an American
source of supply for potash salts. The
search for American potash, he affirms,
Is in progress in every direction, and no
SOlQtu luUIduO tNci uclu OuI pCttSt
prospects of success. when the find is
made it will be bigger discovery and
of more economic Importance to the ma.
ton than the greatest gold camp in the
history of treasure hunting
Last year, the writer remarks, Ameri-
can farmers bought from Germany about
$15,000,000 worth of potash salts. In 1910
We bought $12,000,0O0 worth; in 1904 about
100000. During the last twelve years
we spent $4,000, 900 for potash, and dur
ing the coming twelve years at the pres
ent rate of increase in consumption, We
shall spend $425 OOO, 900 more. We are
Just beginning to realize the great value
of potash as a fertili er and its capacity
for doubling the agricultural yields of
broad areas. Our consumption of scme
other minerals, coal for Instance, has i'll
creased in an even more spectacular
manner. But it goes against our grain
to send abroad our good money, espec-
tally for raw material. We pride our
selves on being by far the greatest min
eral producer in the world. AS a matter
of fact, Mr.. Mitchell goes on TO say, We
have countless millions of tons of potash
and entire mountain ranges of potash
bearing rock, but, seemingly as test of
mans ingenuity. Nature has tightly
locked it up against human use.
Even as the shipwrecned mariner ex-
claims, Water, water everywhere, Eat
not one drop to drink" so the American
farmer, surrounded on every side by
ridges and cliffs of pota,h rock, may echo
Potash, potash, everywhere, but not one
pound to use! In short the enormous
of in ho
GRANTEES and .eldspars are insoluble and
unavailable as plant food, and no cheap
process of extraction has yet been de-
vised.
Rocks, then, are one source OF pu,asn;
another and very likely one is deposits
of soluble salts in the arid West similar
to those of Germany. A year ago Con-
gress appropriated $4,000, which became
available on July l, to enable the United
States Geological Survey to search for
such potash deposits, and work Is being
pushed along this line, deep drilling OPP
erations now being under way in the des-
ert regions of Nevada. The source of all
potash salt deposits is ocean water ana
teachings from rocks and since the West
was in an early geological age covered
by the primal ocean, ana 1t is known
that in the succeeding upheavels of the
continent many vast inland seas were
formed which later dried up it is deduc-
ed that there were left enormous deposits
of salt and potash"
Study Of the Great Basin desert region
by the Geologist H. S. Gale revealed this
as the most promising area for the first
drilling operations. On December list
depth of $50 fee. mad been reached. The
discovery of the desired saline deposits
must still be regarded as possibility
rather than probability. The German
Government, Mr.. Mitchell adds, spent