El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1918-05-25

w the mailed fist Of the kaiser
grip on the threat Of the American
farmer2 The Germans think so. The
believe that their potash mines are
the key to the food supply Of the
world and that when the war is ovei
they can dictate which Of the nations
shall have plenty Of food and which
VIII go starving. Dr.. Wilhelm Ost'
valid. Of the University OF Leipzig. and
one Of the kaiser's prIvy councillors
recently warned the United States
that America had gone into this waI
ike man with a rope around his
neck He said that rope was the pot
ash in the hands OF the kaiser, and
that is would surely be frightened after
peace came.
This threat might have created
some CONSERVATION four years ago. AT
the time the war broke out Germany
had mines which were supposed to be
the only cheap supply OF potash on
earth She had monopoly or the
worlds potash. and she kept one-half
OF all that she mined for her own
farmers We took more than half OF
The balance and our imports amount
ed 20 several hundred thousand tons
OF pure potash a year. We bought
more than 100000 tons Of the raw
material as Il came from the mines,
and this annually cost our farmers
war Puts Prices High.
As soon as war was declared the
prices rose 70 the clouds In 1914 mu-
rate OF potash was selling for $50 a
ton. It doubled and Quadrupled IN
value. and BY December, 1915 IL was
Than TT-nTn sam hngamH
10 sit up and take notice. he had
had HIS chemical and mining experts
at work before the war began He
now added TO the force. and since
then we have been taking potash out
nf certain salt lakes OF our western
deserts. out OF the flue dust OF our ce-
meut mills and blast furnaces. and
from the seaWeed which grows in
great quantities in the waters of she
California coast
The government IS investigating
certain rocks Of the United States
which are rich in potash and the
green sands along the coastal plain OF
the Atlantic which contain the same
salt In short, the results Of our in
vestfEations are such that we expect
70 be able 20 make ourselves indie
pendent OF other nations as Tar as pot
ash Is concerned for all time to come.
But first let me tell you something
about potash I have been talking
with the experts OF the bureau OF
mines and those OF the experimental
laboratory Of the bureau OF soils on
the Arlington farm At the latter
place they are using processes sinnllar
10 those recently adopted IN the ce-
meat plants Of the country. We all
know something about pure potash as
a drug We use chloride Il potash 20
gargle our threats, caustic potash 20
take away warts, and bromide OF pot
ash 10 put US 70 sleep when our nerves
are excited Some OF US need SeldllrZ
powders. another potash compound,
when we wake up Permanganate OF
potash is g disinfecraut largely used
by the surgeons on the European bat
tlefields, and cyanide Of potash is one
Of the most active OF polsons.
Great Source Of Food supply
The agricultural experts tell me
that potash is a great source OF our
food supply. IL stimulates the plants
Ike a cocktail: Il contributes TO the
strength OF the stalks and fills out the
kernels Of our cereals We have 10
use large quantities OF Il for our pota- ]
toes and other truck crops; we use it I
Tor cotton, tobacco and oranges and I
also for peaches and all kinds Of fruit I
crops Just now the great demand for I
10 is In the southern and eastern parts .
OF the country
This valuable stuff is an element D
which IS scattered through almost /
everything all over the earth. but i
usually IN such small quantities and I
IN such combinations that IL is not \
possible to get Il out at profit
Potash is found in the soil and in Ger
lain rocks. There is more Of IL in the I
crust Of the earth than there is water
upon the earth. 1t IS found in sea
water. The oceans have SO much pot
ash that If IL could all be taken out
and spread over the United States it
would cover this whole country with
a bed Of solid potash 100 feet deep.
II you could surround Massachuset
with a tight fence SIX or eight miles
high and pour that salt in. IL would
fiji that mighty bin and leave bill
lions Of tons OF potash to spare. Il
Is potash OF that kind which we are
trying TO save from the kelD farms
On the California coast The seaweed
grabs the potash into itself 70 such an
extent that some kinds Of dried Eelp
have 500 pounds OF pure potash 20 the
ton
Potush in Plant Life.
There Is potash in most kinds OF D
plant life, and especially in hard
woods Of one kind or another. We
get Il by burning those woods to
ashes, and at the present prices such
ashes have become exceedingly val
liable. They are now worth about
70 cents a busheI. and a single coal
scuttle viii contain salts worth a
Much OF our common granite con-
aims 5 percent potash and we have
-Eld-spars which have 10 or 70 per-
cent while in the leucite hills OF
Wyoming there are ten square miles I
4 volcanic rock which analyses from J
to II percent potash There is 50
HOg0nLLO1gLOcaLS /.