The bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1916-06-30
CHANCE DISCl0SES
SOURCE OF POTASH
United States May Be Freed
From Dependence Upon For.
eign Supply.
Cement MILLS DUST USED,
Surprising Discovery 10 Made While
Efforts Are Being Made to Pre-.
vent Fumes From Damaging
California Orange Groves.

SOISSI"o Ssou8S NISVGS.
Uncle Sans chemical experts he.
lieve that by the merest chance in an
effort to abate q serious nuisance.
which was menacing the orange
groves of California, discovery has
been made which may result in civ.
ing the United States an adequate sun.
ply of potash for fertilizing purposes
and thus free this country from its
absolute dependence upon Germany
for this much-needed commodity,
While the government experts say it
is too early to make sweeping pre-
diction, they are optimistic and are
conducting their investigations along
these lines.
In the past the United States has
paid tribute to Germany to the ex.
tent of $20,00O,00O year for potash,
SO necessary for enriching the soil,
especially in the cotton.growing dis.
tricts of the South. The European
war, however, stopped these impor.
tations, and, necessity being the stern
mother of invention. the federal
chemists and others accelerated their
efforts toward finding a potash sup
ply in this country. The latest dis
coveries, which promise to free the
United States from the dominance Of
Germany in regard to this valuable
product, came about accidentally, as
have many other important discov.
cries. A great cement mill in the or.
ange-growing regions of California
was sending tons of dust daily into
the air, the winds carrying the dust
and depositing 1t on the orange groves,
much to their detriment. When the
owners protested, the cement mill
men began buying in the nearest
groves at $1,000 an acre. but finally
had to give this up as being too ex-
pensive. Suits were filed and in.
functions asked.
About this time the attention of the
cement-mill owners was attracted to
an invention Of DR.. F. G. Cottress for
the precipitation Of dusts from
smelters' fumes. Doctor Cottrell,
who later became the chief metallur-
gist of the United States bureau Of
mines. worked out this process while
professor at the University of CALI
fornia several years ago. The &C.
ment-mill men decided to experiment
with the new invention, and the Cot
trell process was installed. The sur
prising result was that the new proc
ess not only eliminated the dust
fumes, but gave the cement people.
a product that contained a great
amount Of potash. The results are
said to have been so satisfactory that
it was thought for a while that the
potash might prove to be the main
product of some cement mills, with
the manufacture of cement only a by.
product. This has not exactly come
about, but the cement company last
year, with potash at wartime prices,
sold 100000 worth, and it is said
that the profit was $4,000.
T'aa result OF this has been that
ttn cement companies generally are
taxing notice. Another company near
Hfgerstown, Nd, which from it's To-
cagion did not have to bother about
tbs dust nuisance, is voluntarily put
ting In the Cottrell process in order
to save potash. which it estimates to
amount to four tons day. Some &C.
ment-mill men declare that the pres
ent mills in this country, properly
equipped, are capable to turning out
100000 tons az potash yearly, which
Is about one-fourth of the amount i'm
ported from Germany in normal times.
1t Is further declared that there will
be an incentive to establish new mills
located near deposits that are rich in
potash, and that in the future no &C.
ment mill will have haphazard 10.
cation did not have to bother about
mills may be erected in certain parts
OF the country for the purpose of max
ing potash the main product and &C.
ment the by-product. The belief is
prevalent among those who are inter-
ested that, as by-product in the
manufacture of cement, potash can be
made at such price as to make it
profitable in normal times at normal
prices. ~-
The stopping of the dust nuisance
In California by the use OF the Cot
trell process has suggested another
field of endeavor. Now chemists are
talking of applying this process for
the obtaining of potash from the
gases OF the blast furnaces in the
manufacture of pig iron. Charles Cat
lett Of Staunton, Va, widely known
chemist and metallurgical expert,
makes the statement that the by
product that can be collected from
the blast-furnace gases are sufficient
in value to affect profoundly the ques-
ton of the manufacture of iron in GER
tain sections and from certain mate
rails.
Aids Rural School Teachers.