The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-06-12

and which are represented by number of patents taken out by inventors who believe that their apparatus will make it possible to recover potash from minerals, especially fedspar, at so low a cost as to make the undertaking commercially profitable.
 But capital will inevitably continue to give serious consideration to several propositions before it is tempted to in- vest its money in potash producing plants One of the considerations is the remoteness of the larger deposits of feldspar from convenient transportation facilities Another consideration which has been brought to the attention of capital involves a problem as yet unan- swered. For what Is to be done with the alumina which is extracted from feldspar
 in order to obtain potash? There will be, so far as capital can see no market for this, since the only possible purchaser is the American Aluminium company, and this corpora ation has abundant supplies of the mineral from which is obtained the product, which when manufactured be- comes metallic aluminium. If there were good market for the by-products of feldspar, a great deal of potash could be obtained from this mineral, but capital does not see its way clear at present to invest in potash producing plants, relv- ing upon feldspar as the original source.
 Another consideration for capital is this: Will the present enormous price which potash communication S400 to $500 ton-be maintained after the war with Germany is ended? If so large a price as this could be obtained, then good deal of capital would be persuaded to invest in potash producing plants. But suppose after plant were established this sum- mer or fall, the war were to end in year and Germany began to export pot oel, +A fha Init fnd fho h. vestment capital thinks would be doomed to complete loss.
 For a great many years men of science and geologists recognized an obscured mineral which was called alunite It can be found here and there in isolated places throughout the country, but it was be- lieved to be without value for any pur- pose. At last very rich deposit of this mineral was discovered in Utah. It was so rich that capital was persuaded to utilize it for the purpose of recovering the potash which it contained. But, Just at present. when certain forms of potash. which are really Saltpeter and which en- ter into the manufacture of powder com mand stupendous price, much of the capital which is undertaking the develop ment of the alunite mine in Utah, ex- pecting to recover a good deal of pot tash, will convert that product into what is really saltpeter That will command a ready market as long as the war lasts, and at prices which may be as high as $500 ton.
 Other capital is now contemplating the utilization of the Utah alunite deposits for the purpose of recovering the potash and so perfecting it that it may be readily marketable for fertlizing or me- chanical purposes.
 The whole question of potash produc- ton is regarded by men of science ana capital as one of the utmost importance satisfactorily to answer at this time, for if it be thus answered, then as one of the results of the war with Germany. the United States may become If nou wholly, at least partially, independent Of Germany for our needed supplies CT potash. There is much potash In the United States, but there is also the i'm portant question as to how to recover 1t so that it can be recovered and mar keted to commercial advantage