Imperial Valley press., 1914-12-09
Mineral Fertilizers.
(By Frederick j. Haskin. J

I l'ti ldCtS Will WHICH cltlZCnS OF the
United States are becoming more ia
miliar, since they were forced to =
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 cf its principal mineral fertiliz
err ingredients. OF the substance fur
nishing in a mineral form the three
clements which are practically the
Cnly ones that need to be supplied
artitically to plants nitrogen, potash
and phosphoTic acid-thc sources &C
supply for the first two lies il for
ciCn countries. OF the third ingre-
dent. which is gotten for the most
part from phosphate rock, the United
States has a generous supply and fig
ures as a large exporter.
When the war in Europe first broke
out the greatest problem TO those in
terestcd in fertilizers became how TO
secure supply of potash The only
deposits of potash salts i'll cornmer-
cial quantities in form available for
use as fertilizers that have hitherto
been know are near Strassfurt, Ger
many. Since their discovery more
than sixty years ago, these beds have
supplied the world, and the sudden
stop put to the export of their pro-
duct was considered great blow to
cur fertilizer industry.
At the same time, immediate ind
cations were that the war might re
suit in q shortage of substances fuT-
niShing nitrogen. England, from
which most of our imported sulphate
/ Of ammonia comes, was at war; while
Chile, the worlds greatest source Of
nitrates, was so greatly affected b5'
the loss of its European customers
that all of its nitrate mines were
closed down.
A third effect of the war which
! loomed large, though il affected an
other side OF the fertilizer business,
was the almost complete stop that
was put to the export from this coun-
try of phosphate rock. From a vol
ume of business valued at about 50,
100000 for August and September.
1913, this export trade fell to ap-
proximately 100000 for the CORE
spending months of the present year.
Fifty years ago, these particular
embarrassments could not have come
to us as the result Of n general wal !;
for fifty years ago the fertilizer in
dustry practically did not exist. Fol
lowing the Civil war, however, a num-
Der of factors united to bring about
demand for fertilizer and the de
velopment of its manufacture, with
tie result that the industry grew with
remarkable rapidity. In 1859, the
first year in which fertilizer statistics
appear, forty y-seven es Adjustments of
unrecorded capital turned out products
valued at 1891 ,444. Ten years later
talized at more than $4,00O,000, witch
annual products worth more than $5,
100000. By 1909 the number of
manufacturing concerns had increased
to $50, the capital of $121, 100000 and
the annual value Of production to
$103, ,960,213. 1t is estimated that
the present capitalization of establish
ments is not far from $130,000, 900
and the output for 1913 was close 70
I$125, 100000
Conditioned, as the fertilizer indus
1 try largely has been, on the needs OF
The Atlantic Seaboard, it is not sur
prising to find that most Of the fer
tilizer plants are situated there and
that the bulk Of the fertilizer con-
sumed in this country is made use of
in the same territory. The l0caliza
ton of the demand is even greater,
however. 1t is estimated that so per
cent of the commodity is used east
of the Allegheny mountains, and that
three fourths of that amount is con
sumed south Of the Potomac river.
The manufacturing plants are also
concentrated in the South Atlantic
states. In 1909 the first four states
in the order Of production of manu-
factured fertilizer were Georgia
Maryland, South Carolina and Viz
ginia. Georgia alone produced It
per cent Of the total output.
Because the manufacture of fer
tilizer is largely southern activity
the wiping out of the cotton market
at the beginning of the war contrib
uted to the belief that hard time;
were ahead for the fertilizer industry
But though the situation looked darE
up to the middle of August, swift
moving events since that time nave
brought about a marked Improvement
The Atlantic has been cleared fol
commerce with neutral countries ant
Tho alI;aC. opnrt n tionc of ammonium