The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1917-01-01
FERTILIZER PROBLEM.
Experiments in the Production of Potash,
Nitrogen, and Phosphate.

The annual report of the chief of the
bureau of soils. United States depart.
ment of agriculture, announces that the
fertilizer investigations of that bureau
have been established as a separate ad-
minstrative unit. The work of the di.
vision is divided along three lines which
deal, respectively with the three fertil-
izer ingredients potash, nitrogen, and
phosphate.
Potssh--A plant will be erected on the
southern Pacific coast TO experiment on a
commercial scale with the problem of
extracting potash from kelp This ex
perimental plant is made possible by a
special appropriation of $4,000 for this
purpose. The bureau also is co-operat-
| ing with cement mills, and blast fur
naces TO determine by analysis whether
the potash now lost warrants the neces
sary expense TO recover it. 1t is in.
vestigating the question of extracting
potash from wool scourings, and is max
ing an ehort to get in touch with com
panies in the country which are engaged
in cleaning raw wool on large scale
The bureau also has published a number
Of alunite determinations dealing with
various methods of treating alunite for
potash.
Nitrogen-The bureau has equipped
laboratory at Arlington (Va.l experiment
farm with apparatus for testing the diff
ferent methods proposed for fixing at
mospherie nitrogen, and contracts have
been let for much additional equipment
to extend this work This extension of
the work has been delayed by the i'm
possibility of securing immediate deliy-
cry of machinery.
In connection with the work on phos
pilates, an electrical furnace has been
in operation working on the problem OF
votalizing PHOSPHORUS acid, and fixing
nitrogen in one operation. Apparatus
has also been installed for experiment
ing with the OSWALD process of oxidizing |
ammonia for the production of nitric /
acid. Both these projects are attended |
with technical difficulties, and no i'm
portant results can as yet be announced |
Investigations on city wastes have /
been continued and an apparatus and /
processes for rendering garbage and 9th
Pr similar wastes have been devised which |
il is believed will prove superior to those
now in use for this purpose. A full re-
port on city wastes il now in course OF
Some work also has been
lone in determining the availability OF
various heterogeneous fertilizer materials
when applied to the soil and this work
5 being continued.
A study Of the subject Of ammonia
rom the by-product coke ovens has been
made and published.
Phosphates-At the Arlington labora-
ory. an electric furnace has been in
tailed and work on the volatilization of
acid from phosphate rock has
,een begun. A Cottrell precipitation was
Installed and, while minor adjustments
emsin to be made the essential fact
hat phosphoric acid may be economi-
ally collected in this way has been dem
,nstraied.
4 process for producing sBlphuric acid
a. been perfected and patented, which
ives promise Of being much more salts
actory than the process now IN use.
General
The problem of producing concentrated n
ertilizers containing al three fertilizer ,
Ingredients or any two Of them has been g
ttacked from several directions. and a
lethods have been worked out in the
laboratory for producing ammonium o- i