Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1916-02-08

A great deal OF interest is being man
ifested at the present time in the pot
ash situation. Owing TO war conditions
our chief source OF potash salts has
been cut of and the scarcity and high
price render the use of potash for fer
tilizer purposes impossible. The United
States has always depended on Germany
for it's supply Of potash and has taken
about one-ffth of their total output,
which amounts TO the equivalent Of
about 10000 tons of pure muriate of
potash. The output Of the German pot
ash mines and the sale Of the material
Is regulated by the German government
On account Of the soluble form in
which the potash occurs and the high
potash content Of these salts, 1t is prob
able that we must look to this source
for our supply of cheap potash for a
number Of years to come.
This does not mean that we have no
source OF potash in America. Raw pot
ash material is abundant. but none of 1t
contains so high a percent OF course or
potash so available as the German sup
ply.
The present conditions of high-priced
potash is giving a great stimulus to the
exploitation of the potash resources OF
the United States. 1t is not a question
Of supply, but one of extracting the pot
ash in an available form and putting 1t
on the market sufficiently cheap TO make
it's use for fertilizer purposes possible
The sources to which We must look for
our supply of potash are the kelp beds
OF the Pacific coast, the potash rocks
or feldspars which are well distributed
and deposits Of soluble potash salts in
the semi-arid region of the United
States.
These will be taken up in the order
named and a brief discussion of the
possibility of their becoming a source
of potash given.
POSSIBILITY OK KELP AS A SOURCE
OF POTASH.
The United States department of ag-
'riculture in their Investigations of kelp
as an American source of potash salts
have mapped practically all of the kelp
beds OF the Pacific coast. From these
surveys It is estimated that there are
$50 square miles of kelp beds, produc-
ing annually 5s,3Oo.O00 tons of fresh
kelp equivalent to 2,226,00O tons of po-
tassium chloride which is about six
times as much as is now imported into
the United States. The harvesting Of
so much kelp is not probable in the near
future, but il does show that we are in
dependent of any other country so far as
the source of potash is concerned. In
this paper we are most interested in the
value of kelp as a fertilizer or as
source of potash for agricultural pur-
, poses The average analyses OF many
samples of dried kelp show that it has
a potash content of about is per cent,
a nitrogen content of about per cent,
and some phosphoric acid. The dried
material decomposes very readily in the
soil. and therefore. can be ground and
used directly as a fertilizer or mixed
with fish or tankage and some phosphate
material, thus making a complete Ter
tilizer. Several commercial organiza-
lions have erected plants and are at
tempting 10 utilize kelp as a fertlllzer
material Unfortunately, this source Is
too far away from the south Atlantic
states which abe the greatest consum-
ers OF commercial fertilizers, and as the
material is rather bulky. freight rates
have made its use here prohibitive,
though II is being used quite extensively
as a fertilizer locally.
The potash salts can be rather easily
extracted and concentrated and as the
klein can be harvested very cheaply this
promises to be one Of the most practical
sources OF potash fertilizers in the Uni
ted States.
Feldspar as a source OF potash SALTS:
The demand for an American supply
of potash in available form for agricult-
ure has not only stimulated search for
potash with the kelp, but with felds-
pars and feldspatic rocks in which are
locked up a vast supply OF potash. The
probleu is to treat these materials in
such a way as to render the potash wa
ter soluble or sufficiently soluble in d.
lutte acids to be used for agricultural
purposes. The rocks which contain the
potash are insoluble silicates OF potash
ana aluminium In some Of the rocks
the potassium is replaced by sodium ana
this lessons it's value as source OF
potash. However. these rocks occur
sbundantly we'll distributed throughout
the United States containing from 10 20
IL per cent of potash.
The lower potash content and the m
soluble form of the potash compared
with the German source Of potash salts
have made the cost Of production too
great TO compete with the German sup
ply. -,
The chemical and engineering prob
lens of rendering the potash from field
spars available have been worked out,
hut the cost is too great to work the
material for potash alone. Many pat
ents have been granted for this purpose
I and II is hoped that by making use OF
the aluminium and other by-products OBJ
tanned in the process this source may
vet become a commercial possibility.
The writer has been informed that there
IS an inexhaustible supply Of felspAtlc
rock in Georgia containing at least to