Evening star., 1914-11-13


tilizer industry. But though the situation
looked dark UP to the middle OF August.
swift ft-moving events since that time have
brought about a marked improvement
The Atlantic has been cleared for COM
merce with neutral countries and the
allies. importations of ammonium sui
phate from England and OF nitrates from
Chile have been resumed to a certain
extent: and a grow ng amount OF cotton
is finding Its way abroad. At the same
time. financial conditions have been bet
tered in the south and will be eased stiu
urther when the federal reserve system
goes into operation.
The ono great problem stilf to be reck-
oned with Is the securing Of potash. but
tho magnitude
Potash Supply of even this
the Chief Problem. pr p.o, o o. .eas m mas
lessened. Germany has raised her en-
barge on potash shipments. while Great
Britain has informed the United States
that she will not consider contraband
materials that this country greatly needs
that are brought from Germany in Amer
lean ships. 1t seems probable that ar
rangements can soon be made for at least
limited importations OF potash salts. An
cry in Spain Of potash deposits similar
to those OF Germany. That the Spanish
field is promising seems well authenti-
Gated, though few details are known
The most important question raised by
the effect of the war on the fertilizer
trade Is: Can the United States become
Independent as regards mineral fertilizer
materials?
As with most problems in fertilizins.
Gv,o tl.r
an inquiry as to the potash supply. Other
ingredients are imported extensively, il
is true: but though this county imp rted,
in 1913. SCI 000. 600 worth OF sodium nj
trate and only $4,000, 900 worth Of pot
ash salts, we have undeveloped sources
of combined nitrogen which can largely
replace imported nitrates. One domest! !c
form Of combined nitrogen Is ammonium
suiphate. a by-product of gas works and
coke ovens. The output of this sub
stance, ammonia and ammoniacal HONOR.
was valued in 1912 at $9.5l9. .26s. and had
increased In ten years nearly 500 per
cent. Experts agree that Il the old
fashioned coke ovens generally used were
replaced by modern ovens this country
could produce more Nitrogen -ompoun Is
than II could consume Other sources of
combined nitrogen are calcium cyanide
and nitric acid formed by electrically
liking" the free nitrogen Of the air. The
source is inexhausdble and product IA
i requires only the harnessing OF cheap
waterpower. A considerable quantity of
American-made cyanide now enters into
the domestic fertilizer industry
When the potash question Is faced il
is seen to be a peculiar one. Though
the element potassium is one of the
most abundant in nature, occurring in
all felspars. which constitute more than
| so per cent of the earth's original
crust, 1T Is so tightly locked up in most
| cases as to be unavailable. Only solu-
BILE potash is OF value as fertilizer
and deposits of such salts in paying
quantities are not known in the United
States. So the quest for a domestic
potash supply has become largely a
search for methods of changing insolu-
BILE potash compounds into soluble
forms. Many patents have been taken
out for the treatment of felspar. and
| it is believed that some of the pro-
cesses are practicable. The patentees
are seeking capital and believe that
with large scale plants their product
can undersell German salts.
It has also been discovered that from
! alunite. double sulphate Of potassium
and aluminium.
Other Possible soluble potash
Potash Supplies. by @ applying % heat
Alunite occurs extensively in Utah and
in smaller quantities elsewhere In tho
west. Though the known supply is in
accessible. 1t could be utilized by the
investment of large capital. At Searle
| lake, in southeastern California, a brine
rich in potassium salts has been dis
| covered. and members OF company.
which is investing heavily In a plant.
are confident that the salts can be iso-
lated in paying quantities.
One of the most interesting searches
for potash supply has been carried
on by the Department of Agriculture
| in the kelp fields of the Pacific coast
Numerous varieties of these seaweeds
have been found varying in length
from two to over 200 feet. They have
| the property of absorbing the potash
salts from sea water, and when har-
vested and properly treated readily
yield them. Vast groves of kelp have
been mapped by the department within
the three-mile limit from Lower Cali
fornia to upper Alaska. Several COM
panies are engaged In extracting the
salts. and the industry promises
rapid growth. Experts believe that In
time a considerable portion of the pot
ash salts used domestically can be
produced from kelp.
Unfortunately, all of the possible
domestic sources of potash known.
with the exception of felspar. are far
from the area of greatest demand, and
the question arises whether with high
manufacturing and shipping expenses
| western potash could meet German
competition. Many observers think not.
If this be so. then 1t appears that the
eastern states at least will have to
| wait for the perfecting of an economt-
| cal process for extracting soluble pot
ash from felspar before they can de-
clare their potash independence from
Europe.