The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-07-11

ECAUSE the supply heretofore
X received from Germany has
- been affected by the war. the
United States Government has
been pursuing with increased energy
the inquiry into the possibility of
deriving potash from the groves Of
giant kelps that flourish over an
area OF hundreds OF square miles along
the Pacific coast, from southern Alaska
all the way to Lower California.
The problem has now been solved, II
Is announced in Washington. As n
result of surveys made by the Depart
ment of Agriculture. II is declared that
a practically unlimited supply OF
potash can be obtained from this
source. The Governments experts
assert that an easily rcaped crop Of
kelps ran he made 20 yield six times
as much potash annually as this
country has been accustomed to inn
port from Germany.
To mention an incidental item OF no
small Importance, the discovery Is
going to enable us to manufacture
our own safety matches. AS a cheap
source of potassium chlorate "a fun
damental requisite for the making Of
such matches), our kelp beds, IL use
full in no other way. would be of enor-
o commercial value.
The deposits Of potash salts. near
Stassfurt. in Germany-the only ones
OF Importance known in the world
may hold out for n century or more.
but not indefinitely. On the other
hand our bcds Of giant kclps. as n
source of potash, will last forever.
with an undiminished annual output.
In time II may come to pass that the
United States, and not Germany. will
supply the farmers of the world with
potash.
According to the estimate made by
the Department of Agriculture. there
are along the Pacific coast 800 square
miles of kelp groves. capable of an
annual yield of SO. 300, 900 ons OF
fresh kelps. From this quantity Of
KEEPS 2,266. 900 tons OF potash chloride
can be obtained. The United States
has been accustomed to import from
Germany about 1.00O.0 900 m OF raw
potash salts-equivalent to 400, 900
tons OF the chloride.
Practically all of the kelp beds are
within three miles of shore. which
means that they belong exclusively to
this country and are not lawfully
available to aliens. Legislation look
ing to the control of the beds. and the
leasing of harvesting rights is already
proposed in the States of Washington
and California. but has not yet gone
into effect. At present anybody is free
En- vafInr EnIna anNsyUhnra alnnO tho
Pacific coast, without restriction of
any kind.
II the entire available crop OF KEEPS
were gathered this summer, and all
OF il utilized for the extraction of pot
ash chloride. the value of the latter
at the present market price would be.
say h experts, approximately $780,
0O0. 900. II. on the other hand. the
crop was simply dried and sold at cur
rent figures for the potash and nitro
gen contained in the vegetable mate
rial, 1t would be worth more than
$3.50. 900 200.
Many varieties of these gigantic sea-
weeds are found along the Pacific
coast. but only three are of Importance
as q source of potash supply. by rea-
son of the fact hat they flourish in
vast and dense groves and in open
water. where they can be easily har-
vested. Most valuable of the three Is
the species known to science ~ Ma
~crocystis, which forms beds sometimes
several miles in length and a mile or
or two I'm width. Usually II occurs in
a pure stand. intermiXed with only a
few specimens of other kelps.
The Macrocystis, like other KEEPS.