Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1916-04-29

Ii. "A
ent and for many years past the worlds
greatest supply has been saltpeter or
nitrate of soda from the deserts of
Chile, where in the course of past ages
nature has impregnated great beds of
soda with atmospheric nitrogen. Until
few years ago the whole civilized
world depended upon these Chilean
nitrate deposits for it's supply of salt
peter, nitric acid and ammonia Today
the United States relies mainly upon
this source, and American manufactur-
efs and farmers pay tribute to the
Chilean government, which collects an
export duty of go per cent on the prod
uct. TO the tune of upward of S12, 000.-
600 a year. Even at this cost the Chill
can supply is giving out, and we must
face the prospect of still higher prices.
The total export of saltpeter in 1850
was 10000 tons. In 1915 it was nearly
100000 tons. Robert Kennedy Dun
can, late professor of chemistry in the
University of Kansas, says the best de-
posits of saltpetre in Chile will be ex-
hausted by 1925. Then what are we
to do for ammonia and nitric acid?
In the process of coking coal some
ammonia is obtained as a byproduct.
but this is only drop in the bucket as
compared with our national needs, and
to burn coal primarily for the produc-
ton of ammonia means fuel waste
and cost that is unthinkabIe.
Nitrogen From the Air.
From where, then, is our future sup
ply to come?
Science has answered the question
as it answers most questions Other
civilized nations more progressive than
we have accepted the aid of science
and freed themselves from the Chilean
monopoly, saved their coal, increased
their supply of fixed nitrogen and re-
duced its cost by Harvesting their wa
ter powers. converting into electricity
the energy in flowing waters and using
this cheap electricity to burn the oxy-
gen out of the air and change the free
atmospheric nitrogen into forms of
acids and compounds available for
chemical. manufacturing and agricuI-
tural uses.
The supply of nitrogen in the air is
inexhaustible so far as it can be ex-
pressed in human terms. Above each
acre of land on the continent there are
$4,000 tons of nitric acid in the form of
free nitrogen. Europe is using 400, oOo
horsepower of hydroelectricity to cap
ture this nitric acid from the air. Ger
many is waging war with gunpowder
made from the atmosphere and fur
niShing agricultural fertilizers to her
farmers at one-half the price paid by
the American farmer.
The astounding thing in the United
States today is that we do not wake
up and take advantage of our oppor-
tunities. Our natural resources, the
richest in the world, are largely neg
leeted. OF our water powers, which
compare favorably with those of any
other country, we are using only 10
per cent. 1t is said that only per
cent of our agricultural lands are pro-
ductive.
A Waste of Two Billions.
In comparison with the enormous
development and use of water powers
in Europe not a single large hydro
electric plant has been built In the
United States for several years. Not
one electrochemical plant has been
esta biished in this country. Not an
ounce CT atmospheric nitrogen is being
produced within our borders. In the
last ten years we have, by neglecting
our water powers, destroyed and vast
ed more than $4,000. 100000 worth of
fuel and labor that could have been
saved.
The only reason the United States is
SO far behind other civilized countries
in this respect is that the federal gov
ernment controls the use of our best
water powers. and for nearly ten years,
under mistaken conception OF con-
ses***+***-$++*+
doesn't pay to use more fertilizer ON
small grains and general farm and for
age crops The increased crop yield
won't pay for the fertilizer used to pro-
duce it. In Europe the bigger crop
yields pay because fertilizers are
cheaper.
The German farmer buys fertilizer
for about half the price paid by the
American farmer. We pay twice as
much for potash to a German monop-
oily We pay twice as much for nj
trates or ammonia to a Chilean mo-
noply- The nitrates are the most ex-
pensive element in fertilizers. Euro
pean farmers are getting their supply
from the air, made by water power
Our water powers, which would give
us cheap fertilizers, are not used