MINERAL  PRODUCTS.

35

remains  for  effective  legislation  to  be  enacted  to  make  these  large
reserves  available  for  use.

POTASH  SALTS.
Outside  of  Germany  there  is  no  known  commercial  source  of
potash  salts.  If  the  German  supplies  are  cut  off  during  the  European ­
  war  the  agricultural  world  must  either  go  without  potash
salts  after  the  meager  stock  now  on  hand  is  exhausted  or  bestir  itself
to  find  another  adequate  source.  Many  inquiries  regarding  a  domestic ­
  supply  of  potash  salts  have  been  addressed  to  the  United  States
Geological  Survey  since  the  beginning  of  the  war,  and  the  fertilizer
journals  report  that  small  quantities  of  spot  material  are  changing
hands  at  sharp  premiums.  The  situation  is  undoubtedly  still  less
satisfactory  than  it  was  a  few  years  ago,  when  national  interest  was
first  awakened  to  the  fact  that  the  United  States  is  entirely  dependent ­
  on  Germany  for  this  important  class  of  fertilizer  materials.
The  imports  of  potash  salts  listed  as  such  in  the  reports  of  the
Bureau  of  Foreign  and  Domestic  Commerce  include  the  carbonate,
cyanide,  chloride,  nitrate,  and  sulphate  of  potassium,  caustic  potash,
and  other  potash  compounds.  The  annual  imports  of  these  salts
during  the  last  three  years  have  averaged  about  035,000,000  pounds
in  quantity,  and  $11,000,000  in  value.  These  figures,  however,  represent ­
  only  a  part  of  the  potash  salts  entering  the  United  States,  as
they  do  not  include  the  imports  of  kainite  and  manure  salts  which
are  used  in  fertilizers.  The  quantity  of  materials  of  this  class
imported  for  consumption  in  the  United  States  during  the  last  three
years  has  averaged  about  700,000  tons,  valued  at  $4,300,000,  annually.
Thus  it  is  apparent  that  the  value  of  the  annual  imports  of  potash
salts  exceeds  $15,000,000.
Potash  salts  are  employed  in  many  industries  other  than  the
fertilizer  industry.  Already  letters  have  come  to  the  Geological
Survey  from  glass  works  and  chemical  industries  inquiring  where
a  domestic  supply  of  potash  salts  can  be  secured.  The  chemical
manufactures  of  potash  include  potassium  hydrate,  or  caustic  potash,
and  the  carbonate  and  bicarbonate  of  potash,  used  principally  in
glass  and  soap  making;  the  potash  alums  ;  cyanides,  including  potassium ­
  cyanide,  potassium  ferrocyanide,  and  potassium  ferricyanide  ;
Various  potash  bleaching  chemicals,  dyestuffs,  explosives  containing
Potash  nitrate,  and  a  long  list  of  general  chemicals.
The  needs  of  the  manufacturers  and  the  farmers  of  the  country
ar e  well  known  and  keenly  appreciated  by  the  Geological  Survey.
Since  the  question  of  a  domestic  supply  of  potash  salts  has  become
pf  public  interest  the  Government  has  endeavored  to  locate  deposits
this  country  and  has  followed  up  every  clue  that  seemed  to  promlse
  results  of  importance.  The  Survey’s  work  has  extended  from