Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1916-10-20

I has been seriously hampered and the
output materially reduced. The farmer
has felt that he could not purchase COM
mercial plant food at prevailing prices,
and as a result, there is a lessening IN
production of many of our staple crops.
SO the situation by which we are con-
fronted is a very serious one, and it Is
of the utmost Importance that some ef-
fort be made to provide fertilizers at a
reasonable cost.
IL seems evident from surveys which
have been made in Georgia by compe-
tent and unbiased engineers that plenty
OF power can be secured from various
falls along the Chattahoochee river -
operate the proposed government NJ
trate plant under the most favorable
! conditions. II a plant of this character
were established along the Chattahoo-
chez, il would be we'll inland and would
therefore be easily protected IN tunes
of stress from ALI invading army. Ii
would have the additional advantage or
being supplied by a river which takes
its rise IN high mountains where the
rainfall is abundant ana quite uniform.
The river empties into the Gulf of Mex
leo and its mouth could therefore be
protected to much better advantage than
if it flowed into the Atlantic If my
information is correct, the plant could
easily be located at a strategic point
so far as power and railroad transporta-
ton is concerned. 1t would be almost
in the center of the great southeastern
cotton belt and the surplus of nitrogen
manufactured there could be quickly ana
cheaply shipped to consuming centers.
Its establishment would apparently les
sen the cost of nitrogen to our farmers,
thereby enabling them to use larger
quantities of this most important plant
food and thus aiding them in maintain
ing the fertility of their land and make
il possible to grow cotton with advan-
tage and profit even under the Distress
ing and trying conditions which the boil
weeviI imposes. That this is a matter
of national concern has already been
pointed out. There is no more Impor-
tant problem requiring solution than
that or providing the southeastern far
mer with an adequate supply of nitro
gen at a reasonable cost.
Then, there are other advantages
which have already been pointed out
which, as l understand il, would flow
from such an undertaking, and which
are so far-reaching in their effect on
our agricultural economy that their
repetition and re-emphasis at this point
seems proper and desirable Briefly
stated, it appears that there is an
abundance of feldspar i'm Georgia in
which potassium and aluminium are so
combined when treated i'm the electric
furnace for the production of metallic
aluminium the potassium contained in
the ore may be made available as a
source of plant food. If this process is
practicable the potash would in large
measure represent a by-product and
could be sold at a figure which would
M IN nr1r- ia
abling them to supply their soils with
a homemade product rather than be
dependent on Germany which has sup
piled practically all of this element up
TO 1914. Potash seems to be one of
those elements most effective i'm aiding
the control of rust i'm cotton, a disease
which has caused very considerable
losses to our farmers, especially on the
sandy lands of the southeastern states.
Therefore, the provision of a CONNER
cial supply of potash is a matter of
great industrial Importance.
With an ideal location as to climate,
water power, shipping facilities, health
conditions, protection from attack by
hostile forces, and plentiful supplies OF
limestone, bauXite. sericite, micaschist
and feldspar, there is every reason to
feel that the establishment of a gov
eminent nitrate plant along the Chat
tahoochee river would represent wise
and statesmanlike action on the part
Of the government, would aid greatly i'm
stabilizing our agricultural output, in
sure the growth of cotton on a scale
commensurate with our needs. and sup
ply our farmers with certain plant food
elements which cannot now be obtained
at a reasonable cost or in sufficient
quantity. Finally. il would make the
farmers of the southeastern states in
dependent in so far as the Importation
Of commercial nitrogen and potash is
concerned and would insure the utiliza-
tiOn of cotton seed meal for the extern
sion of cur animal industries along the
most desirable economic lines.