CALCIUM NITRATE.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 6362, 9 November 1907, Page 4

CALCIUM NITRATE.

AN IMPORTANT ITOBOSAL. CHEAP ALAN 1J RE LOR THE PARMER. I havo been favoured with the perusal pf wuio conc'S]x>iuleiu(* which has parsed between Mr Leo. M. Tliornwn, analytical dhemist, and the Government in reference lo the cwlnblbhineiit of a plant for the- nuuinf.aclu.ro of nitrate, fsaya a writer in Uio “Otago ULlucts”]. Mr Thomson lias made the hUggestioji till at the patent rights, ho far as the Dominion .is concerned, of tho Birkelnmb H.vdo proccew for fixing the niliogen of tho atmospligro should be secured by the Government, with a view to supplying agrUrulluritfts with cheap artificial manure. From an agricultural jHjijit of vi<'w thid id a most important suggestion, and should be acted on if there is any chance of getting them. At the piusont time the termers in New Zealand, ns, indeed, they arc elsewhere, are being exploded to some extent by the Nitrate Trust, which controls the output ilud regulates the price of this valuable constituent of our artificial manures. Tho result is that wo are at present dmrged hero Jfld per toil for nitrate c? soda ami AlB per ton for sulphate of ammuuia, and l*olh of throe might be replaced by calcium nitrate n a uulacturod in the- Dominion at a cod. of from JMto A 4 10s jK»r ton. The present value of these manures id ahmx-J. prohibitive, and their high price lias a marked affect on the cost of noarfy every special mixture of manure- sold. Unfortunately, tho manufacture of calcium nitrate involved tho utilisation of some SOOO horse power, and this can only bo economically (supplied by water-power, mid as tho Government controls all tho water-power of the Dominion, and a 3urge amount of capital would bo required, Mr Thomson rightly thinks tint, in the interests of farmers, it is the duty of tho Government to take up the work, but lot him speak far himself:—ha/e been in communication for some time past with the company which has been nstnbUshcd for two or three years in tho neighbourhood of Christiana, for the purpose of fixing tho nitrogen of tho atmosphere by tho lUrke-laud-Eydo process. This consists in utilising tho waterpower of certain falls—tho amount used being some 5(100 horse-power—for tho generation of high tension electricity. Under tho influence of tho discharge the nitrogen of the atmosphere unites with tho oxygen and with water to form nitric acid (worth TGO per tan], which is absorbed by lime* to form caltrium nitrate. TlnV» is ono of tho most valuable substances which could bo 1 litiliwxl m agriculture, containing, as it , iloe.s, nearly 17 per cent, of nitrogen in tho form luost directly available for plant food. This is nearly 1 per cent, higher than sodium nitrate, Tho process depends for its economic working on a cheap water supply mainly; added to which are accessibility of the locality where tho manufacture is carried on, and prcßcmoo of Hmo, Cos well Sound is the locality which appeals to mo as a possible site for such a -factory, if it wore found feasible to establish it. There ia, as far as I remember, abundance of water-power at high levels, a splendid deposit of pure crystalline Renos teno, and deep ■water facilities for vostiolg right to the shore. . . Tho demand for such a manure as calcium rabrato will go on increasing in this Dominion, and it seems to mo that if it •could be manufactured cheaply it must wipe out nitrate of ’ soda, sulphate of aimuoma, and all other nitrogenous manures . , It is not a scheme' to bo done economically on a small scale. It would require probably at least 5000 b-p. tor a emcoessful installation, and this moans a big outlay. But the benefit; to the country would probably bo very greet. New Zealand could also command tho great Australian market." Mr Thomson was referred to the engi-noor-in-ahioffs report on. tho utilisation Kf the water-power of tho Dominion. It Hay was quite alive to the importance of the manufacture of calcium nitrate, and towards tho conohision of his report the following statements will bo found:—Tt is stated that eo long b« the cost of electric energy does noft exceed about .£2 per horse-power that the Birkoland-Eydo process is a commorainJ succeed, and that'it will bo suc•ccssful for many Swedish power ncheinoe wh<ue energy is not expected to cost quite .-£1 per horse-power year. If this L>, so the process should be successful in Now Zealand, where poorer could in many cases? be obtainable at power stations ait rates not exceeding those quoted, and in the mast favourable cases ns low as the lowest. Should a process such as this prove successful, and the demand for nitrate fertilisers increase to tne extent that some authorities expect, then districts on the southern AVest Coast of tho Middle Island, now practically uninhabited, will in time become •centres of im>|jorrtant and, so far as can »ow bo judged. permanent industries, -and yield great wealth." After cxaTn this import Mr Thomson writes follow®:—‘T do not think that the •romarKs contained in this rejK«rt advance any further* tho question ofmanufactrumig nitrates in New Zealand. . . What I havo jsugeeeted Ss that further jmformatnon is desirable now in a spocdfto dirociuon—viz., In© examination m oerfeun definite localities as to their suitability for nitrate works. The two localities which I consider should be exploited in the first instance arc (1) near \\ hangarei amS (zj tn Caswell Bound, Regarding tho former a certain amount of information is now available as to tho power which could bo secured but as concerns Caswell bound absolutely nothing definite is known except that both water-power and limestone are loimd there. It would not cost much to .havo a preliminary examination of both «tes made, with the express object in view of establishing nitrate works, and fehe knowledge gained would be valuable, oven if negotiations with tho Norwegian, Company came to notmng. I do not know how far they may bo prepared to mako any definite statements on tho meagre .information at present before them. But it is quite certain that it is only a question of time when such an industry wall bo started in the Dominion, for tho possibilities of the scheme are vast, and the benefits to be dferived unquesfapnablo/- An examination of Mr Hay's report reveals the fact that the Woiraa Tails neighbourhood would fulfil some of tho conditions required, provided a high enough ttox wm oooifrffrucflodt pWio cost of this, according to Mr Hay's estimate, would bo ,£2-10,000, but probably only a

fraction of this amount would bo required at. Caswell Hound. The production of nitrate from the air nosscfcws Ilf' afl-imporfant advantage that tho “jaw” material ih always uniformly pn-cnr. Tin-re is as much nitrogen to lr- go I fiom tin? air covering oik* aero of ground as would bo /■inii-cd for all the ceieal crops in the world. ]f by this ,ii‘ol iir>d jot 1 imsinutactujrc the tinppiv of jjitrogenoius IVriibeers I‘cquirr(i' !>)‘r Ihe Jhjm.inion could Ire rendered indcijeiidcnt of irnnorLil ioim from foreign -countries, the national woaltn wouM increase enormously. Tho world's eonsiMMpti<<n io continually on the increase, having risen during Hie pant Unco years by about 2hO,WJO tons, a movement which is expected lo continue. It will thus be seen there is little chance of lowering the cost unles.s we get a move on. The importance of the ' question should induce every farmcW organisation, union, or a>ssociatiou to countenanco and prosecute tho rugged ion til! tho Government is forced to take action, in lno matter, and ar.cerlnin definitely the best terms upon which the manutael uro (d‘ calcium niIrali* can be started, and, if possible at all. set tho works going as soon as possible.