The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1924-05-16
NITROGEN SUPPLY
is NOW ASSURED
Fostering of Infant Industry
Necessary to Maintain
Soil Fertility.

brought America from Ignorance 10
prominence In the nitrogen ixation In
dustry." DR.. Harrison l.. Howe. editor
OF the official journal OF the American
Chemical society. declares In u plea
for further development In the Interest
of the farmer and national prepared
mesa He asserts that the plan at
Muscle Shoals Is an entire success
from the technical standpoint. The
dxed nitrogen research laboratory al
Washington has been a powerful slim
uius to both large and small scale
operations. IL Is imperative. he says.
that government activity continue be
cause Muscle Shoals constitutes only
one part Of the nitrogen problem. Few
people recognize the far-sigh1ednsss OF
congress In assuring an adequate ma
uonxl supply Of nitrogen. according to
Doctor Howe. who adds:
Nitrogen II necessary to maintain
the fertility Of the soil. In many sec
lions Of the country crops are depletin.
the soil of its nitrogen. and this is not
being replaced. In time Of war nitro
gen Ii an absolute necessity In the
manufacture Of explosives. There are
three sources from which nitrogen Is
obtained-the natural deposits OF
nitrates In Chile. by-products Of coke
ovens and the air.
An infant Industry.
The industry which IL based upon
the recovery OF nitrogen from the air
u an infant industry In the United
statea. The domestic demand for
nitrogen materials cannot be met by
the by-product OF our coke ovens. The
supply from this source has remained
almost constant over Z period OF years
In spite of an increasing demand for
time We are importing more than half
the nitrogen we use from far-away
Chile. and obtaining less than 2 per
rent from the air which Il Immediately
around n. Z
Due to the national Importance Of
an adequate supply Of nitrogen. the
responsibility for fostering the infant !"
air nitrogen industry has rested with .
the government. What has the gov p
eminent done toward meeting this re- 81
y
First, congress passed b National 81
Defense act In 1915 authorizing the >
President to make such investigation
~ he deemed necessary to determine
the best, cheapest and most available
means Of producing nltrates. On the
basis OF the information thus obtained
the government built the nitrate p;
plants at Muscle Shoals and Sheffield, Il
Ala. The fixed nitrogen research n
laboratory now Of the Department of -
was established at Wash =.
ngton, d. c.. to determine the possible
utilization Of the product -
rom the Muscle Shoals plant In case 20
were operated; to supply such tech Id
lical Information as would assure q be
uccessful operation Of the Sheffield vii
liant. which information was not avail
BILE ut the time Of Its construction to
tudy new methods Of nitrogen fxa-
lon with the aim Of reducing the cost r,
( nitrogen In fertilizers; to supply
be newly developed nitrogen industry
. the United States with the informa- oy
which could be obtained only by In
ntensive research and involving nnan-
ial consideration beyond the scope Of
adividual concerns. 50
Commission Appointed. le,
"A commission was appointed through
DO Department OF Commerce In 1923
, ascertain the present economic sit =,
alton In the nitrogen industry. Con ~
ress II considering the ~peace-tims rl
tilixation OF the Muscle Shoals prop
rites, AZ 10 evidenced BY its recent
and subsequent discussions
The results Of these activities of Ca
70 government have been effective IN,
nd ~far-reaching. In the brief time Of 90
70 years America has emerged from -
state Of total Ignorance Of many Of
10 more important features of the
trogen ixation industry to 4 position /.
prominence among those nations lar
hich have been fostering the air 81.
trogen industry for q much longer
While 1t II true that We have
large production at the present q.
ne. yet In case Of emergency the
untry can now proceed with conf ".'
nee to erect large plants which "n
,uld have an enormous output. On
The plant at Muscle Shoals proves pro
be an entire success from the tech Dol
cal standpoint. II has, during = six on,
Dsks' test, produced hxed nitrogen
,m the air in the amoun for which c
was designed and could resume ~.
ually satisfactory operations at any '
ne. While II Is true that the total oe'
Is 10000 tons Of nitrogen per
lr. this output II but a small frac-
a OF the nitrogen consumed yearly Kn
this country. thi.
"A further source Of fixed nitrogen cao
In sight from the numerous smaller ~.
waite plants which are being planned ~.
are actually under construction -"
csc enterprises are securing coop vi"
Iton and valuable technical infor>
tion and advice from the fixed
rogen research laboratory. which and
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