Show no profitable market for american seaweed americas interest in its own seaweed resources dates back to pre co times when indians used it as fish bait and tor for basket weaving in 1902 a scientist discovered that seaweed on the pacific coast contained potash pot important fertilizing element but lie could interest no one in his discovery for a decade As in the case ot of many other raw products a world war was necessary to make its importance known knowl german potash supplies w ere cutoff cut off the farrus farms cried for cor potash so the government set out to find a source A company manufacturing explosives also needed a substance from seaweed as an ingredient for its products so it built a plant in california groups of 0 men first attacked the vast seaweed plantations with sickles but it was not long before steam and gasoline propelled scows equipped ed with mechanical harvesting machinery dotted the pacific seaweed fields A dozen or more plants were established when like armistice was signed the companies disbanded almost as quickly as they were established today one remains the th others succumbed to cheaper german potash or imported seaweed products national geographic society bulletin |