36 



DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVAL SERVICE 



6 GEORGE V, A. 1916 



and iodine, no marked error will be made by calculating througliout for Nercocyrdis 

 plants.) The potassium chloride values are calculated on the American quotations 

 for the crude salt before the outbreak of the war ($39.07 per ton on an 80 per cent 

 basis; hence reckoned as $50 per ton potassium chloride). Since there is no duty on 

 this salt into Canada, these figures can be applied here. The iodine values are cal- 

 culated from the values quoted for Canadian imports in 1913 ($1.73 per pound, equal- 

 ling $3,875 per ton). 



Total kelp available 



Dry weight _. . . 



Weight of potassium chloride contained 

 Weight of iodine contained 



Value of potassium chloride contained . 

 Value of iodine contained 



Total value 



District A 

 500 miles. 



tons. 



122,760 

 9,820 

 2,946 

 11 -78 



147,300 

 45,647 



192,947 



District B 

 200 miles. 



District C 

 240 miles. 



tons. 



224,640 

 17,970 

 5,391 

 •21 56 



269,550 

 83,545 



353,095 



Since these three districts may be held to represent fairly accurately and equally 

 the distribution of kelp over the whole coast, an average of the results can be applied 

 to the whole coast line, which is commonly estimated as 25,000 miles." 



Average weight of potassium chloride per mile. . 

 Average weigiit of iodine per mile 



Hence, total annual yield of potassium chloride is equal to 235,000 tons worth 

 (valued at $50 per ton), $11,750,000. 



Total amiual yield of iodine is equal to 950 tons worth (valued at $3,875 per ton), 

 $3,680,000. 



The total calculated value is, therefore, over fifteen million dollars annually. It 

 must be remembered that at present and during the present war the price of potassium 

 chloride will remain much higher than that quoted, but that under normal ^conditions the 

 marketing of large quantities of potassium salts (or of iodine) would probably result 

 in a considerable lowering of price by the controllers of the present supplies. 



It is perhaps doubtful whether under normal conditions the kelp in districts A 

 and D could be harvested at a profit. The territory extending from the north coast 

 of Vancouver island to the Dundas islands, including the islands in Queen Charlotte 

 sound and the other islands Aristazable, Estevan, Banks, Porcher, Stephen, the Tree 

 Nob group, etc., has much more extensive beds, and as far as I can judge tl^e figures 

 obtained for district C are applicable to the estimated coast-line comprised in 

 this territory, but much of it has not yet been charted. From the available charts 

 it would appear to be at least 2,000 miles in length, while 3,000 miles is not improb- 

 ably a more correct figure. Using the smaller figure, with the data from district C 

 (22-48 tons of potassium chloride and 0-09 ton of iodine per mile), the total avail- 

 able yield should be 44,960 tons potassium chloride and 180 tons iodine, worth, 

 respectively, $2,250,000 and $700,000, a total of $2,950,000 for the annual harvest. 



■i See for example C. McLean Fraser .Trans. B. C. Acad, of Science, vol. 1, p. 49. 



