NITRATES FROM THE AIR

Otago Daily Times, Issue 16979, 16 April 1917, Page 8

NITRATES FROM THE AIR

THE USE OP HYDRO-ELECTRIC POWER. w Th ,°, fo " mvin e extract from tho Electrical World, New York, of February 24, is of interest in connection with the proposal of Mr J ,Orchiston, Chief Telegraph Engii neer, to manufacture nitrates by hvdro-el'»c-tric power at tho Bowen Falls:—' Tho attention now being directed toward the use of hydro-electric power in the manufacture of nitrates has led the State Water iroblems Conference, appointed by the Governor of California, to devote considerable space to this subject in its recent report an extract of which appeared in the Electrical World for February 3, 1917. In order to emphasise the latent possibilities m this field in the United States comparisons are drawn with the nitrate industry in foreign countries. Tho following has been taken from the report:—^ " ' Europe uses per aero of cultivated land oon rl > the United States uses , f-. Germany, m 20 years, by the use of tertuiser, has increased the averago yield of all crops grown three times and a-half "as much per acrc as America. The German Agricultural Department reports show that by feeding the toil with 2..c00,000 tons of •nitrate there was secured an increase in crops of 6a,000,000 tons. In Germany intelligent effort lias been directed to replace tne nitrogenous compounds extracted from soil by crop growth; in the United btatcs the averago agriculturist has seen Ins land yield steadily decreasing crops without attempting adequate remedy. '' Tho average yield per acre in bushels tor various crops in tho United States and -Europe is as follows:— tt -l -i c. i. Oats. Barley, live. Potatoes. United States 35 20 25 16 Oft 32 47 ;-;s ao m " ' As a. measure of preparedness in event ot war the United States has been attempting to accumulate a reserve stock of 32,500 tons of Chilian nitrate. Her army and navy use annually in peace 3000 tons. The reserve stock contemplated would make enough explosives to last possibly a week in a modern war, and at tho end of that tune the nation would be powerless unless her navy were strong enough to enable her to commandeer a supply from Chili against the efforts of her enemy and possibly the wishes of the world. A' cheerful outlook lor a nation whose foreign relations are becoming complicated.' / ' A country with great natural waterpower resources can by tho proper use thereof make itself independent of the foreign supply of nitrates. Nitrates can lie extracted from tho air bv hydroelectric power, and where there is a general distribution of the necessary rock deposits used in these processes, which is. the case throughout tho West, it may be considered that 1.5 li.p. of hydro-electric energy will produce a ton of sodium nitrate per year, rho'method of manufacturing fertiliser from Chilian deposits produces a composition of 12 per cent, active fertiliser and 88 per cent, useless material on which freight must be paia, while the electro fertiliser product §2 P er cent, of fertilising material. ... A0 United States is importing from Chili annually 625,000 tons of nitrate, valued before tho war at 23.000.000d0l (including tho Chilian export duty of nearly 8,000,OOOdol), but now worth 37,500,0C0d0f. I hat entire amount of nitrate could be manufactured in California by utilising 1,000,000 h.p. of its unused water-power resources. California itself is using about 50,000 tons of Chilian nitrate annually, at a cost before the war of nearly 2,000,000d0l increased now to 3,000,000d01. Many times this amount should now be used annually in that State, and this will doubtless come in time A 75,000 h.p. hydro-electric plant would supply tho nitrates now used in California."