The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1914-11-13
81 Erederfclt !. Hasl.in.

By Eredericl
Among the little recognized but
vital facts Wit which citizens Of the
United States are becoming more IA
miliar since they were forced to q
careful stock -taking by the sudden
outbreak Of the European war IS the
past and present dependence Of this
country on the outside world for
some Of It's principal mineral fert-
| lizer ingredients. OF the substance
furnished IN q mineral form the
three elements which are practically
the only ones that need to be sup
piled artifcially to plants nitrogen,
potash and phosphoric acid the
sources Of supply for the first two
lie in foreign countries. OF the third
ingredient, which Is gotten for the
most part from phosphate rock the
United States has generous supply
land figures as a large exporter. ( (
When the war In Europe first
broke out the greatest problem to
those interested in fertilizers became
how to secure q supply of potash.
The. only deposits OF potash salts In
commercial quantities in q form
available for use as fertilizers that
have hitherto been known are near
Strussfurt, Germany. Since their
discovery more than sixty years ago,
these beds have supplied the world,
and the sudden stopping Of the ss5-
tport Of their product was considered
a great blow to our fertilizer indus
TRY.
at the same time. immediate in-
dications we're that. the war might
result In q shortage Of substances
furnishing nitrogen. England, from
which most Of our imported sulphate
of ammonia comes. was at war;
while Chile, the worlds greatest
source OF nitrate, was so greatly at
fected by the loss Of its European
customers that all of Its nitrate
lmines were closed down. y
a third effect Of the war which
doomed large. though 1t affected an
other side Of the fertilizer business.
was the almost complete stop that
was put to the export from this
country Of phosphate rock. From a
volume of business valued at about
Sc, 100000 for August and septem-
Der. 1918, this export fell to approxi-
lmately 100000 for the correspond
ing months of the present year.
Fifty years ago, these particular
Iemharrassments could not have come
to US as the result Of a general war;
for fifty years ago the fertilizer I'M
dustry practically did not exist. Fol-
lowing the Civil war, however. "a
number Of factors united to bring
about a demand for fertilizer and
the development Of its manufacture,
with the result that the industry
grew with remarkable rapidity. In
1855. the first year in which ferti-
lizer statistics appear, AZ establish
ments Of unrecorded capital turned
out products valued at 1891 .344. Ten
years later there were 1875 establish
ments capitalized at more than s ~
O00, 600, with annual products worth
more than $3.50, 1000. BY I 900 the
number OF manufacturing concerns
had increased TO $50, the capital to
$121.5 100000 and the annual value
OF production to 81 03. 961,213. It's
estimated that the present capitals
zation of establi shmentss Is not far
from $4,000 900 and that the out
put for 1913Swas close to $125, 000,-
900. b, ), <.
Conditioned, as the fertilizer in
dustry largely has been, on the needs.
of the Atlantic seaboard, 1t is not
surprising to find that most Of the
fertilizer plants are situated there;