The Sunday telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1914-1927, 1916-01-09
AMERICAN FARMERS
CONFR ONTED BY A
SERIOUS SITUATION

can be used as a substitute. Through
which will contain forty to fifty pei
cent OF water soluble phosDhoric acid
or the still more concentrated form
Of ammonium phosphate could be Sc
cured. But the use Of the electric
furnace for the purpose is CONNER
clally feasible only where phosphate
rock. coal and cheap water power are
readily available. The department IL
investigating this matter to ascertain
whether there are localities where
these conditions exist and where
therefore, double super-phosphate may
be made.
The Nitrogen Situation.
The nitrogen situation Is of less
pressing concern. Cottonseed meal
forms the. bulk OF the heterogeneous sub
stances entering into commercial fer
tilizers. The amount available for
fertilizer use Is dependent upon the
annual production Of cotton and the
demand for the meal for feeding stuffs.
The supply Of dried blood and tank
age, also sources Of heterogeneous ma
terial, is dependent upon the number
OF animals slaughtered. Only a few
large packing concerns conserve these
products, which are now used to a
considerable extent as cattle feed as
well as for fertilizer purposes. In
vestigations of the bureau Of soils
have shown that there Is large
amount OF waste from the fisheries
and fish canneries, especially on the
Pacific coast and in Alaska. This ma
terial could and should be made into
fish scrap. which would have a value
of about $1,2O0,O0O for fertilizer pur'
poses.
Owing to the demand for nitric acid
for munition purposes, the price OF
nitrate OF soda advanced approximate
ly $1.1O per hundred pounds during
the year prior to November, 1915.
Only a very small percentage Of the
nitrates imported from the Chilean
beds goes into fertilizers. being main
ly Incorporated in special brands for
greenhouse and trucking purposes.
This item alone. therefore, will not
cause much embarrassment to Amer
lean farmers.
Important Source.
One of the most important sources
OF nitrogen for commercial fertilizer
is ammonium sulphate. This
is produced as by product in the de-
distillation of coal for the
preparation Of coke. The nitrogen
in the coal is evolved as
and is caught and neutral
lied with sulphuric acid. Formerly
all coke was made in the beehive oven
which did not provide for the confine-
ment Of the combustible gases pro-
duced. These were burned as evolved
and the ammonia carried by them was
likewise lost. The domestic produce
ton of ammonium sulphate from the
coke even is only one-ffth of what it
could be were the beehive oven en-
tirely displaced by more modern types.
During the last few years there has
been a slow transition from the use
OF the beehive oven. 1t is not i'm
perative, therefore, to resort to ex-
treme measures to increase the pro-
duction Of ammonia.
Another source of nitrogen is found
in garbage. The Investigations of the
bureau of soils indicate that If the
garbage OF all cities having popula-
ton of 10000 and over were converted
into garbage tankage, the product
would be worth for fertilizer purposes
at least $3,5O0,00O. In view Of the pres
ent situation, immediate steps should
be taken by all municipalities to con-
serve the garbage and to make it
available for use in the fertilizer
trade.
The bureau of soils is studying also
the problem of the tiXation OF atmos-
pheric nitrogen with view to de-
velop method for the production of
phosphate and other forms
Of concentrated fertilizers. No am
phosphate is being made in
this country at the present time. II
cheap water power, phosphate rock,
coal and limestone can be found in
accessible localities, the possibility of
making this material on a commercial
scale Is considered entirely feasible.
The greatest difficulty here is to dis
cover cheap water power at points
where phosphate rock. coal and lime
stone are readily available. The de-
partment is making every effort to
locate available sources OF developed
water power which can be used in
he manufacture of ammonium phos-
Dhate and other fertilizers.
1t must not be understood that the
which have been made. or
he efforts which are now being put
'orth. will result in immediate relief
'or farmers. There are number Of
technical problems which have to be
solved IL these fertilizers are to be
produced on commercial scale, and,
sven II the funds for the necessary
plants were provided, either from pri-
'ate or public sources. considerable
line necessarily would be required
or the erection Of the plants and for
heir full operation.
Save Fertilizer Elements.
In the unusual conditions existing
n the fertilizer trade. it is import
INT that all fertillzing materials on
he farm. esnecially those containing
potash, should be conserved The fer
llizer ingredients already existing in
he soil should be utilized and devel-
,ped to the fullest extent. A great
leal can be accomplished in this di-
'ection by deep blowing. constant cul-
ivation and thorough tillage. There
should be a proper system Of rota-
ion. Especially where one crop has
been grown for several years a diff
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