36 
OUR MINERAL RESERVES. 
New York to California and from Michigan to Louisiana and has 
covered all branches of investigation where results might be ex 
pected exclusive of the study of kelp. Its investigations have been 
carried out along several lines: (1) Deep drilling for saline residues 
has been done at Fallon and in Columbus Marsh and Black Rock 
Desert, Nev., and will be continued in Black Rock Desert this year; 
(2) natural and artificial brines and bitterns have been collected at 
all the salt-making establishments in the United States and a great 
many other localities and examined; (3) deposits of alunite and 
other minerals containing potassium have been investigated in Utah 
and other States; (4) certain occurrences of igneous rock known to 
contain considerable quantities of potash salts have been examined. 
Much work has also been done by private initiative along practically 
all the lines mentioned above. The Bureau of Soils of the Depart 
ment of Agriculture has investigated the kelps. The work is not 
yet finished and will be pushed with increased vigor, provided the 
necessary funds are supplied. 
NITRATE. 
The third mineral fertilizer is sodium nitrate, which is imported 
from Chile in large quantities, 612,861 tons, valued at $21,630,811, 
coming in 1913. Deposits of sodium and potassium nitrate are 
known in Utah, Nevada, California, Oregon, Montana, and New 
Mexico and have been described in publications of the Geological 
Survey and Bureau of Soils, but thus far no material of this kind 
has been found in sufficient quantity to promise commercial value. 
The latest report that has come to the Geological Survey relates to 
a deposit in Arizona. 
One important domestic source of combined nitrogen is the gas 
works and by-product coke ovens, which in 1912 reported a recovery 
of ammoniacal liquor, ammonia, and ammonium sulphate valued at 
$9,519,268. This output of by-product ammonium sulphate in 
creased in 10 years from 17,643,507 pounds to 99,070,777 pounds, 
and as it is linked with the great coking industry further increases 
can be expected. 
Another domestic supply of nitrogen compounds lies in the fixa 
tion of atmospheric nitrogen by electricity. Cheap hydroelectric 
development is necessary to establish this industry, which would 
make our large agricultural and industrial interests free from the 
uncertainties of the foreign supply. It is hoped that the water- 
power legislation now before the United States Senate may pro 
mote hydroelectric development in large units and thus utilize some 
of the great water powers in the West in obtaining nitrogen from 
the air.