The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1914-11-13
r HE HAS KIN LETsTER
MINER AL FER TILIZERS
p; By Fre''d q :. Ha -

ANAA4NAkN35AA -
By Frederick
Among the little recognized but
vital facts With 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 its principal mineral ferti-
llizer Ingredients. OF the substance
Furnished In mineral form the
three elements which are practically
the only ones that need to be sup
piled artlficially to plants nitrogen,
potash and phosphoric acidthe
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 a generous supply
land figures as large exporter.
When the war in Europe first
broke out the greatest problem to
those interested In fertilizers became
how to secure a supply Of potash.
1.-THE only deposits OF potash salts in
commercial quantities in form
available for use as fertilizers that
have hitherto been known are near
lStrassfurt, Germany. Since their
discovery more than sixty years ago,
these beds have supplied the world.
tand the sudden stopping OF the ex-
port Of their. product was considered
La great blow to- our fertilizer indus
TRY. $3.50 ~, IS
AT the same time. immediate In
Edications were that the war might
result In shortage OF substances
furnishing nitrogen. England, from
(which most of our imported sulphate
tof ammonia comes, was at war;
while Chile, the worlds greatest
source Of nitrate. was 80 greatly af-
Ifected by the loss Of its European
lcustomers that all of its nitrate
mines, were closed down. W.
A third effect Of the war which
Iloomed large. though. 1t affected an
other side Of the fertilizer business.
was the almost complete stop that
was put to the export from this
county OF phosphate rock. From a
volume Of business valued at about
ls2.O00,000 for August and Septem-
her. 1913, this export fell to approx
mately $500, 900 for the correspond
ing months of the present year.
Fifty years ago, these particular
lembarrassments could not have come
to us as the result Of general war;
for fifty years ago the fertilizer In
dustry practically did not exist. Fol-
lowing the Civil war, however, a
number Of factors united to bring
about demand for fertilizer and
the development Of its manufacture,
with. the. result that the industry
grew with remarkable rapidity. In
1859, the first year in which ferti-
lizer statistics appear. Al establish
ments of unrecorded capital turned
out products valued ut 1891 ,344. Ten
years later there were 1875 establish
fments capitalized at more than So
900, 900, with annual products worth
more than $3.50. 900. BY 1909 the
number of manufacturing concerns
had increased to $50, the capital to
1921 100000 and the annual value
Of production to $103,960,213. 1t Is
estimated that the present capitals
cation of establishments is not far
from $3.50, 100000 an+ that the OUT
put for 1913 was close to $125 ,O0O,-
900.
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
and that the. bulk Of the fertilizer
consumed in this country is made use
in the same. territory. The To-
calization of the demand is even
greater, however. It is estimated that
80 per cent of the commodity is used
east Of the Allegheny mountains, and
that three-foprths of that amount is
consumed south OF the Potomac
river. The manufacturing plants
are also concentrated in the South
Atlantic states. In 1908, the first
four, states in the order OF produc-
ton Of manufactured fertilizer we're
Georgia, Maryland, South Carolina
and Virginia. Georgia alone pro-
duced 16 per cent Of the local output.
Because the manufacture of ferti-
lizer is largely southern activity.
the wiping out Of the cotton market
at the beginning Of the war contrib
uted to the belief that hard times
were ahead for the fertilizer indus
try. But though the situation looked
dark up to the middle of August,
swift-moving events since that time
have brought about a marked i'm
proyement. The Atlantic has been
cleared for commerce with neutral
countries and the allies; importa=
lions OF ammonium sulphate from
England and OF nitrates from Chile
have been resumed to a certain ex-
tent; and a growing amount of cot
ton is finding its way abroad. At the
same time, financial conditions have
been bettered in the South and will
be eased still further when the fed
|eral reserve system goes into opera
ton. ~
The one great problem still to be
reckoned with is the securing of pot
ash, but the magnitude OF even this
problem has been somewhat slesseped.
Germany has raised her embargo on
potash shipments, while Great Brit
ain has informed the United States
that she will not consider contra
band materials that this country
needs that are brought from Ger
many in American ships. 1t seems