The Washington times., 1914-02-13
SCOUR SEA IN HUNT
FORFERTILIzER FISH
Bureau of Soils Gets Data on
Various Kinds To Be Used
For NitrateS.

The ocean depths are the latest regions
10 be explored by the Bureau of Soils,
IF the Department Of Agriculture, in its
Continent-wide invoice of the nations 5
assets in fertilizer materials.
Just now ii is engaged in a hunt for
nitrOgenOus products, which, with phOs-
phorus and potassium, form the trium-
Viratc Of desirable fertilizers, and il IS
estimated that literally billions of fish
might bc caught and converted into
he richest fcrtilzing material without
appreciably decreasing the supply
Even the American Indians knew
something of the value of fish as fer
tili2ers, and were wont TO put one or
two in each hill of corn at the time of
planting. The first factory for cooking
nSh by steam for fcrtilizing purposes
was erected near Portsmouth in 1911,
and from that time until 1884 the IN
dustry grew.
Since then, however. il has suffered
something of a decline, and the Bureau
OF Soils hopes TO inaugurate a revival
of this industry to avert threatened
depletion of the soil.
Rival Gold In Value.
No region or section has been over
looked by this bureau in its hunt for
the three elements named, for their
presence is deemed OF more value to
the nation at large than all the gold
veins of California or the unlimited sill
Yer Of Nevada.
The deserts of the great Southwest
have been secured for potassium salts,
the kelp groves OF the Pacific coast as
Tar north as Alaska have been expert
mented with to the same end. great
peat beds in Florida are now being ex-
amned, and phosphate fields have been
discovered in South Carolina, TER,
T.-sa sa@zwH IL Al
Idaho.
None of these however. give more
promise of development than do the in
Vulnerable fish that may be obtained
by the boatload from the Atlantic every
summer.
Acting under the direction of Milton
Whitney, chief of the Bureau of Soils,
]. W. Turrentine has just completed an
investigation of the possibilities of fish
fertilizers. the most common fish used
for this purpose being the menhaden,
VGriouSly known as the ''porgy' hard
head bug fish,. ana other coIloquial
names. 1t is seldom used for food.
Although as many as 900,000,00O men
naden have been caught and converted
into fertilizer in one year, the number
becomes almost insignificant when COM
Jared with the number Of these fish de-
stroyed by their natural enemies. prin-
cipally the dogfish and the bluefish.
One authority estimates this number
at S000 O0o, ,e00.
Dogfsh To Be Utilized
Perhaps the most probable extension
cr the fish-scrap industry through
which the employment of fish other
than the menhaden for that purpose
viii prove to be the utilization or the
dogfish, said Mr.. TurrenIine in his re-
port.
This supposition is based on the gen
eral hatred for the dogfish entertained
by the fishermen and the consensus of
opinion that their destruction is impera-
tive. 1t is estimated that the annual
loss from destruction by dogfish of food
fish and fishing gear in the State of
Massachusetts alone amounts 10
S4O1O00''
The Canadian government has already
SauSth to combine a war on the dog
,isE with an increase in fertilizer ma
terial by establishing three plants in
Nova Scotia and New Brunswick TO
convert the uogfish into fish scraps.
Near Pensacola 2 plant has recently
pcen erected to utilize the waste due to
preparing fish for food With the estab-
Iishmcnt of other such plants it is
thought that millions of InuIct which
,annOt he disposed of for food might
~ made available for fruit and truck
- OW crs-