The sun., 1916-12-10

Of current is required compared WITH
the production Of nitric acid by the arc
process. Liquid air machines furnish
the pure nitrogen.
After a sufficient exposure at a com.
p~aratively moderate temperature tho
carbide Is impregnated with nitrogen
and becomes calcium cyanamid. or
simply %cyanamid. as IL is commonly
called. When pulverized the cyanam,d
because Of its rich nitrogen content is
q very valuable ingredient Just a. i,
stands In the preparation OF artificial
fertilizers.
Unlike nitric acid. the first produc,
Of the arc process, cyanamid can b.
used at once as a plant food, can ~
handled without injury and Is su..
ceptible OF easy. safe and economical
transportation. But a balanced fer.
tilizer must also contain p~hosphoric
acid and here again cyanamid shows
its iexibility and usefulness.
The most valuable form OF nitrogen
as a fertilizer IS ammonia. Cyanamid
can be readily converted into ammonia
by the action Of superheatcd steam
Again. phosphoric acid can he obtained
from ground phosphate rock. OF whicl
we have an abundance in this Country
by means Of the electric furnace. and
then the ammonia can be fixed fl the
phosphoric acid, yielding A chemical
compound which contains 13 per cent.
Of ammonia and 4S per cent. OF pho.
phoric acid.
This stun Is a very rich plant food
"a IA- I~A- A~ttvnasnA chat 90
pound Of nitrogen restored TO tho SOL
q yield Of twenty pounds Of wheat can
be obtained.
From ammonia II Is possible 10 Obtain
nitric acid cheaply. and thus from
cyanamid We car have at will either
ammonia or nitric acid. the trans
formation being effected at the poin.
OF use and. therefore. at a minimum Il
risk or expense involved in trans
portation. But cyanamid as such has
other uses than that Of a fertilizer. 7.
has been found to he an excellent caS4
hardening material and abroad Is used
extensively In toughening proJeotilos
and likewise for increasing the resist.
ance If defensive m IT also "a
used In q powder form to promote
welding.
1t Is not necessary to enumerate ~.
numerous heterogeneous products 'ha'
are In common demand. Coal TAR dyes
synthetic indigo. medicinal Goa TAR 40.
rivatives. anilin oil. &c. are only som
Of them. while smokeless powder
picric acid. dynamite and many other
explosives are absolutely dependent
uppn nitric acid at some stage In Their
making.
In the making Of calcium carhid"
only coal and lime are needed and the
coal can be first used in tho cok,ng
ovens, thus permitting 81 II" ex'rac.
ton OF coal tar. the employment ~ 'hs
escaping gas and the utilization ~ ~"
heat generated by the oven. It's
using Of the by-products makes fnr
ultimate economy.
Amin. IN times OF peace. nitric acid
as such has not so wide a demand and
a large plant turning out nitric acd
as a first product would either have "a
shut down or be run at a eacr!hce on A
reduced output. The Government
problem is to decide upon a means n
fixing atmospheric nitrogen that Wi
best serve the requirements ~ ~
people during tranquil periods and ~
susceptible Of economical adaptation
ard efficient production in times OF IA
,ional danger. In this way the farmc'
will hc able 20 get artificial fertilizer
a. a reasonable cost and the country
acres will then produce so as TO reduc'
the cost OF our daily food.
In order to reemphasize Just VIVA
enough nitrogen would mean to u
farms and our national wealth le' 80
see what the net gain in the value ~
products. that r.. sl.0Sl, 900 900, repr'
sents when compared with III" las
Congressional appropriations.
To begin with. the total OF the an
nual appropriations for the fiscal yea
ending June 80, 1917. come close -
81, 900. 900. 900. The total grants for -
army. f~ortihcatlons. the United state
Military Academy and the entire MAYA
service mount to $601 ,s7o,l1s. De
Quoting this from the potential ~
gain II our farms werc properly ~
riched by plant food. we still hav"
surplus of s~473.l29.s22. This excc@
would wipe out nearly half Of the la
t.onal debt.