The Washington times., 1917-03-27
FERTILIZER SOLE HOPE
Germany's Home Food Supply May
Determine Wars Outcome.

Lack Of fertilizer for the 1917 crops
may force Germany to conclude peace
on terms Of the entente allies own
choosing. Fertilizer experts In New
York were at one yesterday in agree
ing that It was absolutely imperative
for the realization Of German hopes Of
tiding over another winter that arti-
fetal stimulant be given the soil on a
scale never before known even in, a
country holding first rank as user of
crop accelerators-
All reports from Germany are to the
effect that under direct pressure from
the government every available square
foot Of tillable land in the empire will
be planted the coming season with n
view to warding on actual starvation
An official of one Of the largest ferti-
lizer companies in the United States had
this to say yesterday regarding the
fertilizer situation in Germany:
Imports Have Stopped
From all we can gather. Germany Is
IN a pretty tight position so far as fer
tilizers are concerned. Not a pound
Of Chilean nitrate is getting into the
country. and exports Of phosphates from
the United States have stopped The
Teutons have probably devised a work.
able method Of getting nitrogen from
the air. Whether such supplies have
reached sufficiently large proportions to
meet military and agricultural needs is,
Of course, a question. As for the potash
essential for fertilizing purposes. my
information is that the mines are half
full Of water owing TO q lack Of men
l.
cattle raising country on any great
scale. the recoveries of fertilizer in
gradients from so-called tankage must
be small Slaughter house refuse must
be tremendously curtailed in Germany
at this time"
DR.. William S. Myers, director of
the Chilean Nitrate Propaganda. an
organization maintained by the Chill
can government and English-owned
nitrate producing interests, with Of
fees at 25 Madison avenue. was OF the
belief that Germany's shortage of
materials for making effective fertil-
izers had been exaggerated.
ain view of the fact that Germany
has always been the most intelligent.
as well as the greatest, user of fer
tilizers in the world" said DR.. Myers,
"the capacity of her lands for produc-
tion under efficient management is
very great indeed. With a favorable
season the potential food resources of
the central powers should not be un-
derestimated. The use OF the fertil-
, izeT 'simples' in Germany, the large
practice of home mixing of fertil.
izers, the close purchasing of fertil-
izer supplies through agricultural CO
operative societies have enabled Ger.
many to solve the problem of soil ex-
haustion.
Germany produces on an average
% bushels of wheat per acre to our
IA; As bushels Of oats to our 80, and
200 bushels of potatoes to our 81. The
difference between her fertilizer
practice and ours consists essentially
in her more abundant use of nitrogen.
If Germany can make one acre do
the work of two American acres on
the lands under her control, the cen.
trail empires could produce in a favor
able season more crops than the aver
age production for the whole United
States She has sufficient potash
within her own borders and sufficient
phosphoric acid in the form of Thomas
phosphate powder which, when cou-
pied with the intelligent and judicious
use of nitrates, can bring maximum
crops, always assuming an Intelligent
and thorough cultivation.
Short Crops Dua
'If neither nitrates nor readily
nitrstable. nitrogen have been pro