The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-07-22
OTHER PRODUCTS NEEDED

| 1 Fertilizers are not composed entfreiy I or nitrogen, although it is the most inn l portant and most needed element in our ' fertilizers. Everyone understands that a complete fertilizer must have potash and phosphate tes as well as nitrogen. Should the nitrate plant be constructed al Muscle l shoals the backwater from the naviga-
 ton dams would reach up into the beds i Of phosphate rock that are found in Ten nessee. The cost of transportation will l be very small I know of no other place I in the United States where this element ! of cost in the production of fertilizer can be practically eliminated. According to the statistics contained | in government crop reports, the total fer tilizer bill of the country for 1914 amounted $1S5, 000,000 Of this total, $S6 395, GOO was for nitrogen, s69, 600 for phos- phoric acid, and $29e00,00o for potash, the total for nitrogen and phosphoric acid amounting to $i55, 400,0 900. Before the com mittees on agriculture and military af fairs of the House in February of last year, it was testified to and it has not been denied or questioned that at Muscle Shoals it would be possible in connec tion with the building of a government nitrate plant to produce fertilizers com- pounded of phosphoric acid from phoG- phate rock and nitrogen from the atmos- phere and sell them to the farmers of the country at one-half the price the farmers have been paying for such fer tilizers in normal times.
 Suppose that in one year the farm CTS of this country should use this fertilizer to the extent of the nitro gen and phosphoric acid used in 1914, namely, s155, 400, 900, there would be saving in one year to the farmers of the country on their nitrogen phos- phoric acid fertilizer of 900 on the basis of 1914 consumption. "It is of interest to remember that Alabama farmers paid fertilizer bill in 1914 of $11 300 ,000, and if they can get their fertilizers at Muscle Shoals for one-half what they formerly paid they ought to have the opportunity to do so.
 "The average yield of wheat per acre for the last 10 years in the Uni- ted States has been about IS bush els in the United Kingdom about a3 This difference is due to the larger use of nitrogen fertilizer in Germany and in the United Kingdom "One electric horsepower working through a year will fix 1000 pounds of air nitrogen, and extensive expert
 ments have shown that one pound of
 available nitrogen applied to an acre
 of wheat will increase the yield one
 third of a bushel. A thousand pounds
 of nitrogen applied to the proper
 acreage will increase the yield $50
 bushels.
 These are the reasons that compel
 me to favor Muscle Shoals with a pos
 sible power installation. as reported
 by United States engineers of nearly e80. 900 horsepower.
 Tn conclusion, let me say that have had no desire whatever to an tagonize the natural wishes of my friends and neighbors, but occupying 2 position where if falls to my lot to be one of those who must determine what is best for the entire people Of
 the state of Alabama in reference to. this matter have reached my con
 clusions based on the facts that have stated above.
 OSCAR w. UNDERwooD.''