OCR Text |
Show I MAKING 'OUR OWN POTASH. Potash was produced in largo quantities quan-tities in Germany prior to the war, and one of the best markets for the prod,-uct prod,-uct was Amerfca. Since 1914 this country has beori laboring la-boring to become Independent of the German supply. We arc informed by government authorities that the outlook out-look is encouraging, the rate of production pro-duction during the first six months of 191S having been equal to nearly 25 per cent of the normal consumption. By force of circumstances the country is now essentially independent of foreign for-eign Importations, though at an undetermined unde-termined cost In the fertility of the soil. Searles Lake, in California, the alkali lakes in western Nebraska, and the alunite deposits of Utah, all of which were examined, with favorable recommendations, in earlier reports by the geological survey, department of the interior, are now our principal sources of supply. From these, as well as from various by-product recoveries, recover-ies, larger and increasing supplies are expected in the latter half of 1918 and A demonstration is to take place at the plant of the Portland Cement company com-pany of Utah, which is located near Salt Lake, to prove that even mining tailings may be utilized in the turning out of a commercial potash. The extensive tailing dumps near Garfield are said to contain more than 9 per cent of potash, and the fertilizer, which Is locked up as an Insoluble, can be released by a very simple process. Mixed with Bait and limestone and subjected sub-jected to a heat far less than is required re-quired to produce a clinker in the manufacture man-ufacture of cement, and then immersed in -water, the potash, rendered soluble, is extracted. I When western tailings from the old i milling plants begin to yield potash in large quantity, the United States will be in position to tell the Germans that their fertilizer and chemical Is j not wanted. In the meantime, the developing in- i dustry must be protected by a tariff R'all sufficiently high to keep out the German article. |