Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1918-12-06
SOURCES OF POTASH.
II Is Possible That Recent Discoveries
Will Afford New Supplies.

PEOPLE must eat Agriculture is the
onlv source Of food supply. Crops can
not be successfully grown without pot
ash. Hence Germany. believing. her
self 10 possess the only important de-
uosits OF potash in the world, has felt
confident that she could at any time
force her commercial! will upon any
other nation b. her own absolute con-
troll Of this Indispensable mineral salt.
Before. the war We imported 2i0.0vD
, tons of potash from Germany annually.
Since then we have been looking eN-
ervwherc for the precious stuff IN the
United States. During the present year
our output mainly from dried-up des-
crt lakes and Pacific kelps will reach
50. 900 tuns--a creditablc production.
but only one sixth Of what We need.
Newly. however. the outlook has
been so completely altered by fresh
scientific discoveries that, in the opin-
lion OF the government bureau of mines
We shall soon be- able TO produce all
thu. pot:.sh We want. Not only shall we
be independent Of German supplies
after the war, but In all probability we
shall have Il large surplus Of potash
for export.
Some years ago Doctor 'ottrell, now
chief m"tallurgist OF the bureau OF
mines. invented an electrical device to
prevent the escape OF poisonous gases
from smelling and chemical works.
which killed vegcta ton. 1t 50 happen
cd, quite recently, that cement mill
in the or;lngc-growing region OF Cal-
furnia found itself aSsailed with law
suits and obliged TO pay heavy dam
ages on account of injury done to the
orange trees by dust emitted from lts
chimncys. In sheer desperation II IN
stalled Doctor COttrcll's contrivanc".
which, to cverybody's surprise. worked
perfectly. But the really astonishing
thing was the discovery that the dust
retained by this means WAS potash.
Potash commanding in the market
about eight times it's prc-war price IN.
mill promptly stopped making cement
and turned it's attention 10 the produc-
tiun Of potash--the process In either
case beginning with the burning OF
rock to Il cinder. The mill coined
money: il became Il mint.
other cement mills took up the idea.
one concern at HaGerStown. Md. put
In the potash saving device, and in
1917 paid for it's plant and cleared
5000, 900 in addition. II expects 10
clear half million dollars this year.
The bureau of mines estimates that the
cement industry of this country can
produce 100. 900 tons "f potash per an
mum as II by-product.
Not all rocks used for making &C.
mcnt will yield potash, however. They
are limestOncS and shaleS, with which
more or less feldspar is commonly
mixed II Is the feldGpar that holds
the potash In Colorado arc incalcula-
bic quantities of 'tailings" from silver
and other mines which are eXtraordi-
narily rich in potash and rcady-ground
for treatment.
Government engineers have discor-
cred that iron ores contain potash
some more and some lcss--which can
be separated out incidentally to the
process of smelling the ore for pig
iron. The Bethlehem Steel company
has built plant for this purpose at
South Bethlehem, Pa: but tho gov
ernment has shut it down for the time
being lest 1t interfere with munition
production.
The iron ores of the Birmingham
district in Alabama are exceptionally
rich in potash-a matter OF special in
terest inasmuch as the south uses.
chiefly for cotton. so per cent OF all the
potash consumed in the United States.