The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1918-02-23

A Signal Victory for Commercial
Scientists OF America.

The development of American not.
ash sources to point where we are
no longer dependent upon Germany
Tor this necessary plant food, is one
OF the most important victories won
by American skill. ingenuity and re-
sourcefulness. AS the Nebraska lakes
furnish most OF the American pot
ash. II will be interesting to many to
know how this Nebraska potash i.
obtained.
Deposits and brines rich In potash
are found I'm a number of lakes and
ponds which are scattered over the
sandy region of west central Nebras-
ka. These ponds vary in size from
less than an acre to two square
miles. and the quantity OF water va
ries greatly with the season, and some
are comparatively fresh. while Others
contain high percentage of mater
ial In solution.
These ponds lie in small inclos-
ed basins which have no outlet. con-
sequsntly the dissolved material in the
drainage water has remained. as the
water exaporated. The material in
these deposits and brines resembles
closely the teachings from wood ashes
which may have been the source of
rnuch OF this material, for the sur
rounding country was formerly cover
ed with good growth OF grass and
brush. and the region has been re-
peatedly burned over. This. however.
Is only one of the many views held as
to the origin of the potash in these
lakes
Jesse Lake Is one OF the largest of
these lakes, and the one which con-
tains the most potash. and is the one
from which most of the Nebraska
potash has been shipped. The lake is
shallow and covers about 24O acres.
The depth and concentration of the
water varies with the amount of rain
fall. Its bottom is composed of dark
greenich mud, beneath which is n
sand charged with a brine much like
that OF the surface water. The sand
is said to be 90 feet thick and TO
rest on an impervious bottom. The |
brine found In the sand is more uni |
form In composition than the surface
water and is the main source OF the |
potash supply. Wells are sunk into |
this sand and the brine pumped to
the plant. There the water is evap-
Grated and the residue dried and
shipped without refining. The water
IN partially removed by first. heating
The brine and then pumping it 20
wooden towers where 1t passes by
gravity over partitions arranged like
stats In q window blind. thus par
tally concentrating the brine. 1t is
then passed To vacuum pans where
more water Is driven of, and IT then
goes to cooling and crystalizing vats
when after several days much OF the
salts crystalize out. The liquor is
then drawn off and returned to the
concentration system and the salts
shoveled out hnd dried in a rotary
drum furnace. The potash salts are
then ready for the market and con-
tain few per cent of water and |
about rs or 27 per cent potash. which
Is practically all in the form of sui
phate and carbonate. This material
is alkaline. and will therefore help
TO neutralize the acidity OF acid soils.
and make them produce better crops.
The product shipped therefore, is
essentially OF the same composition |
as the brine of the lake. and as ii was
all I'm solution in the lake and has
only had the water driven off it will
40 back in solution when water is
added. consequently all of the potash
is soluble in water and is all available |
to plants.