The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-07-27
NITRATE PLANT WON'T MEET NEED
$2O, ,000, 0,000 Appropriation Is Only a Drop in the
 Bucket.

Washington, July 26.-A report re- gently issued by the Smithsonian in- stitution points out that the $20,O00,- 0Q0 government nitrate plant recently authorized by congress will be only drop in the bucket towards meeting the military and agricultural needs of the United States for an independent source of cheaper nitric acid for man. ufacture of explosives and ammonia for the farm fertilizers. Referring to the appropriation for the govern ment plant, the Smithsonian institu- tion report says:
 If the entire sum were to be put into power-site development, it would furnish somewhere around 15O,O0O horsepower, capable of yielding in the neighborhood of 50,OOO tons of nitric acid, or about one-fourth the estimat- ed military emergency requirement alone; and at that, the entire cost of plant installation, running into the millions of dollars, would have to be additional. To satisfy government estimates of around O0,0OO-ton war time requirements would entail power generation of around 6OO,OO0 horsepower, or some 5O,OOO more
  opment. Such a project would cost around $80,000,000 to eventuate and in its operation during peace times as an agricultural proposition in com petition with other sources would ne- cessitate an annual subsidy running into the billions of dollars, without offering a single advantage excepting as a preparedness measure.
 v,boyu of oo,orvoee and others familiar, with this situation are urging that, even if the govern ment nitrate plant fulf1lls all the hopes of its sponsors, it will be inadequate to the country's needs as furnishing a substitute for only a7sma1l part of, the more than 100000 tons of nitrate of soda we are this year importing from Chile for military, agricultural and in- dustria1 uses. It is reported that the production of ammonia as by-pro- | duct of the coking of coal, by improy- ed methods, is being largely increased With the completion of by-product coking ovens now being built, it is said that this production will amount to l 100000 tons of ammonia a year. If all the ammonia in all the coal used in coking were saved, however, this source would produce only about 700.- 900 tons a year of ammonia, anc no practicable way has yet been found for converting this by-productA ammo. mia into nitric acid for manufacture o1 explosives, its use being confined fir agricultural and industrial utilization
 It appears from the Smithsonian re. bort, which discusses all sources n, nitrogen compounds in the United States, that the only present hone tfor an abundant>supp1y of cheap nj. tric acid and ammonia, which iwi1 make the United States independen, of foreign supply in case of war. anf will reduce the price of fertilizers CT that American farmers can afford f, use them to increase their crop yield lies in the development of water now CT. For this reason men who know the situation are urging the necessit, l for the passage of legislation at th, present session of congress which wil encourage water power developmen by private enterprise, by removins ther estrictions in the present law which have resulted in stagnation n such development.
 Announcements. m,de in congres during the debate on the army hill to the effect that a new process ha, been perfected for fixing atmospheri nitrogen without the use of electricit, in large units, are refuted by tn
 Smithsonian report. Referring tt the Haber process. which several con gressmen insisted had been adopted ii Germany for nitric acid production t. the elimination of water power, tn report says:
 The (Haber) process does not mak the high demands on electrical powe lrequired by the other processes of at