Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-09-09
War S Effect on
Potash Supply

Outside of Germany there is nj
known. commercial supply of potash
salts. If the German supplies are Gu
off during the European war the agri-
cultural world must either go without
potash salts after the meagre supply
now on hand Is exhausted or bestil
itself to find another adequate source
of supply. Already many inquiries
regarding potash have been addressed
to the United States Geological Sur
vey, and the fertilizer journals report
that small quantities of spot ma,
| terial are changing hands at SHARP
premiums The situation is undoubt
eddy more acute than 1t was few
years ago, when national interest was
| first awakened to the fact that the
United States Is entirely dependent
on Germany for this important class
| of fertilizer materials.
| Potash salts are employed in many
! industries other than the fertilizer in
dustry A large amount Is used In
glass and soap making and in the
manufacture of a number of chemical
products These include potassium
hydrate, or caustic potash, and the
carbonate and bicarbonate OF potash.
used principally in glass and soap
making: the potash alums: cyanides.
including potassium cyanide, potas-
stun ferro-cyanide and potassium
ferri-cyanide: various potash bleach
ing chemicals, dye stuffs, explosives
containing potash nitrate and a long
list of general chem Gals
The needs of the manufacturers and
the farmers of the country are well
known and keenly appreciated by the
Geological Survey. Since the question
of a domestic supply of potash salts
has become of public interest, the
government has endeavored to locate
deposits in this country, and has fol-
lowed up every clue that seemed to
promise results of Importance. The
surveys work has extended from
New York to California and from
Michigan to Louisiana, and has COW
cred all branches Of investigation
where results might be expected, ex-
elusive of the study of kelp. It's in
designations have been carried out
along several lines. % Deep drilling
for saline residues has been done at
Fa1lon and, during the past year, in
Columbus Marsh and Black Rock
Desert, Nevada, and will be continued
in Black Rock Desert this year. (2)
Natural and artificial brines and Bit
terms have been collected at all the
United States and a great many other
localities, and examined. go De-
posits of alunite and other minerals,
containing potassium, have been in.
vestigated in Utah and other States.
(4 Certain occurrences of igneous
rock known to contain considerable
quantities of potash salts have been
examined. Much work has also been
done by private initiative along prac-
tically all the lines mentioned above.
The bureau of soils, of the Depart
ment Of Agriculture. has Investigated
the KEEPS The work is not yet fin
ished and will be pushed with in
creased vigor, provided the necessary
| funds are supplied.
The imports of potash salts. listed
as such in the reports of the Bureau
| OF Foreign and Domestic Commerce,
include the carbonate, cyanide, chic
ride, nitrate and sulphate, caustic
| potash and other potash compounds.
| The importation of the above salts
| In round numbers the last three
years has averaged 635 .000. 900 pounds
! in quantity and 81, 100000 in value.
These figures however, represent
only part Of the potash salts enter
ing the United States, as they do not
| include the imports of kainite and
manure salts which are used in fer
tilizers The quantity of this class
/ of materials imported for consump-
ton in the United States during the
/ last three years has averaged about
100000 tons valued at $4,000, 900 an
nually. Thus it is apparent that the
annual importations of potash salts
/ exceed $4,000. 900