A CORNER IN POTASH.

North Otago Times, 3 November 1906, Page 1 (Supplement)

A CORNER IN POTASH.

: Germany is expressing tho same an-. xioty about tho exhaustion of its potash , 1 deposits that Great Britain voices about I its coal. Tho;enormous potash tads'

ivo been yielding since 1801, although is only recently that the output has ached great dimensions. Possiblj mo of tho nowor countries ivill be und rich in potash, but so far Gcrany has a mon»poly far closer than roat Britain enjoys in her coal. Small sposits of tho valuable salts havo been scovered in Galicia, Persia, and the unjab, although in quantities too in:;nilicant to mcnaco. t!io Germ.'ii onopoly. There is something national the methods of the Germans in dealg with their rich "corner.'' Tho Eosli Syndicato, which* was formed in >76, has marked its operations by rearkablo magnitude and thoroughness, ran tho mines owned by tho Crown bi'o allowed to pass into the hands of 10 company, with the reservation that io Government might dictate the ■ico the iarmors of Germany wero to i charged for their manure. Outsido io country there has been no restric3n, and the Syndicate lias had a mono ily ■of tho .world's markets. During 0 past few years, however, all has: >t been plain 1 sailing. New mines' itliin- tho German Empire havo boon lened, and tho syndicate lias had to 1 a lot of oxtonsivo buying to keep ) its control of the output. All over io world tho consumption of potash is beon advancing at a remarkablo .te. In Germany alone the quality used went from 1,375,000cwt in 85 to 9,593,000cwt in 1895 and 20.16,0000wt in 1903, Since 1890 it is lculated that the amount of pure posh applied to agricultural lands in Brmany has grown from 691b to 3921b ;r 100 acres. © In 1900 tho potash salts exported nounted to 9,215,0000wt, in 1903 to 807,000cwb, and iu 1904 to 12,433,lOcwfc. Moro than half of the 1901 itput wont to tho United States. _ All this illustrates tho rush of agriculrisfci in almost every country to ad,nced methods,'in which tho free uso fertilisers is one of tho chief- fea- : ires,. Several proposals have been ado to stop Germany being denuded its potash, Tho State is urged to quiro a preponderating influence in o mines, and to limit the shipment foreign countries by an oxport tax. oanwhile tho syndicate spends' onorous sums of money'in educating the rmcrs of all nations to .the value of aiiures of which potash is a part, spensivo colleges nro maintained, at liich students from many European unlries aro trained in advanced agri;lture, and particularly in ohoniistry. iclted men aro then sent to rep rent tho syndicate in all corners of io world. They work by practical mionstration, and subject every proable crop to experiments with and itliout tho potash dressing. The Ausalasian representative, for instance, is experimental plots, ranging from io cocoanuts and bananas of the isnds and the sugar and pineapples of neonsland to tho root crops of New :aland and tho applos of Tasmania, nnetimes the Stato farms eo-oporate tho trials, but generally the plots o laid out on the farms of leading men, whero they can be watched by the public generally. The subsequent selling of manures tho syndicate leaves to separate business agents, Few monopolies appear so complete, although thei'o are indications that the syndicate will havo troiiblo to steer clear

of those who arc opposed to wholesale oxport and tho competition of freshly discovered deposits in Germany.— "S.M. Herald/ •