The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-09-10

Juan. They found upon analysis that the alunite contained nearly 19 per cent of potash, but it also contained 61 per cent of alumina. This analysis at once raised a serious problem. for it is necessary to get rid of the alumfna before the potash can be secured to com mercial advantage. But there is now no market for alumina. The maufac- turers who are producing aluminium suf- ficient for the needs of the United States possess vast deposits of the metal. in fact all they will need for years, Never the less Dr. Frank K. Cameron, whose name it is only necessary to mention in order to identify him as a member of the first rank of American chemists and who probably will take part in the national exposition of American chemists which is to be held in this city in the latter part of September, has perfected several processes which will make it possible to extract the potash from the alunite to commercial advantage.
 A QUEER MINERAL
 Alunite is unique mineral deposit formerly regarded as practically worth less. It is found only in one of the high mountains of Utah and it runs in seams which range in width from six to 25 feet. Presumably the deposit extends to the bottom of the mountain and if that be true there are millions of tons of the mineral there
 Some years after the close of the civil war some of the Virginia manu- lecturers were persuaded that they saw an opportunity for the development of a neglected resource That is the vaIua- ble acid which is found in the sumac plant. Sumac grows abundantly upon the mountain sides of western Virginia. The enterprising men of Virginia em- ployed colored men and women to break off the branches and these were shipped to rendering plant at Petersburg. There the valuable property in the leaves was extracted but it was found necessary to send this extract to Ger many in large amounts for there alone could 1t be treated so as to make it a commercially available product.
 What the Virginia men did, begin- ming 40 years ago, enterprising men of North Carolina are now also doing so that there may be recovered the valua- ble potash properties that are in the alunite deposits. For 1t Is North Caro- lima capital which has established two large potash extracting plants, one at Raleigh and one at Norfolk, Va To these plants two-thirds of the way across the continent the mineral after preliminary treatment in Utah Is trans ported. In these plants 1t Is by special treatment made available for fertiliz- ing purposes. The potash Is a sulphate and 1t Is especially valuable for fer tilizing fields in which tobacco, citrus fruits, vegetables and other crops are cultivated. There Is hope that from this formerly neglected mineral of Utah also from kelp and possibly very soon from the great deposits in the Searls Lake region of southeastern Califor- mia the United States may be able to develop an industry which will make us independent of Germany after the war is ended
 Should this prove to be the case 1t would furnish another illustration of the strong disposition now prevailing throughout the United States to take advantage of our own resources, hith- erto neglected so that we may not be compelled to rely upon other nations for certain materials. Perhaps the best example of this is now furnished by the manner in which American capital and American science are perfectine methods which will make us substan- tially independent of Germany for dye StuffS