The daily Alaskan., 1913-01-31
sEAwEED HARVESTED FOR
 ITS POTASH CONTENTS
lRr Chns. A. nlpsmore.l

c. NJ. Bernstein, of Cananea, Mex. has secured the concession to collect and utilize the kelp, or sea- weed, found floating In the waters along the Mexican west coast, SO far as relates to the entire coast of Baja (southern) California. There are tremendous quantities Of this weed floating In these waters constantly--and C is extremely val uable because ot it's potash con tent There Is a roaatantly-iucreas- ing demand for I'i,sh, especially In the United states. where it Is very largely used in fertilizers, the potash enrichlng the soil and aid- ing generally in It's fecundity; and also 1t Is largely used in medicines while from the seaweed iodine is also manufactured
 Mir. Bernstein has had this in mind for many years, but only re- gently did he secure sue. con cession as he desired, anG immed- lately he went to the Pacific Coast to see what could be done with it. One company offered Co take 400 tons per day of the kelp at S5 per ton, for fertilizing purposes. They plan to macerate the seaweed and use it in the soil in that condition, without extracting the potash or any of the other contents. It is we'll known that this combination makes a most excellent economical ferti- lizer, and 1t is possible that Mir. Bernstein will make contracts for the quantity named. However, the chief plant will probably be at San Diego, where the potash salts will be extracted from the weed, and the residue possibly used as ferti- lizer.
 The kelp of the Mexican Pacific coast has been rather a menace to shipping, for in many places it forms great islands through which no vessel can possibly sail. The granting Of the concession, and the removal Of this kelp from the wa ter, will not only serve shipping but be of benefit to the country gen. orally. The extraction of the pot ash from the seaweed is not a ted ious nor a costly operation; and as the plant will have every facility its product should be marketed at less than present prices.
 Practically an the potash used in the United States comes from Ger many, last years imports totaling the immense sum Of Sl0,O00,00 Constant search has been made for deposits in this country for years, without avail; though in this work the government has lent every as- sistauce. Potash is more or less abundant In iEneous rocks, such as feldspars, trachytes, rhyolite, alu- mite, leucite, granite, and others. The rhyolitcs and granite contain from 8 to s per cent-but no teasi- ble means of extracting it from these rocks has vet been discovered, SO it is necessary to find a deposit extracted in natures laboratory. The most probable places for na- turaI deposition Of potash salts would be the arid basins, playas or dry lakes, enclosed by ranges Of igneOus rocks; and usually the lake will have been in prehistoric times filled with salt water The waters o' the lakes concentrating and the saline content accumulated in cer- tain areas, evaporation following, and the upper layers become denser and soon sink to the bottom. This continues for years, the bed Of the lake thus becoming a vast deposit of salts laid down usually in this manner: CarbOnates Of lime, sul- phate of lime, as gypsum, etc, soda salts and aIkalines, chlorides and sulphates Of maEnesia and potash, the latter being most soluble of all This condition continues for ages, until the evaporation took up all the water, leaving the salts as stat ed. From this the potash salts are usually secured. But this, fin the United States, is for the greater part theory, because there are no considerable deposits here, though in Germany it is different and 1t was there learned the manner of formation of the potash beds
 It is believed by many that the operation of the concession secured by Mir. Bernstein will have a whole sale effect on potash in the United States. because these salts will be easily secured from the kelp, and there are such tremendous Quanti-