232 ANNUAL REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 1909. 
It thus appears that of the total available supply of nitrate of soda 
in the United States but 42.90 per cent was used at the census of 
1900, and 41.22 per cent at the census of 1905, in explosives factories, 
and of this a notable portion was used in the manufacture of salt- 
peter which was sold for other uses in the arts. While all the indus- 
tries enumerated show a growing demand, the largest increase in any 
single industry is found in the fertilizer industry, where 22,695 tons, 
or 116.2 per cent, more of nitrate were used at the census of 1905 than 
were used at that of 1900. 
While no detailed statement of the consumption of nitrate of 
soda elsewhere is available, there is issued semiannually by W. 
Montgomery & Co. (Limited), of 63 Mark Lane, London, a statement 
of the total shipments, consumption, stocks, and prices of this article 
during a considerable period, and the following data are derived 
from their circular statement for December 31, 1908: 
TABLE 7.—Consumption of nitrate of soda in 1908.% 
Locality. Tons. 
United Kin edomis 22 see wie saisinee wioiclo sleds 2 ciel cee ce ses es eceeeiwas eee sa Se seaissies seems ciseosee 104, 000 
Continent of Europe...........- Sait Aa aR ae ELS rm an A ae CHEE eae th eh 1, 272, 000 
WimitediS tatess= scse ese eee hs bie eee ee Sr eS ele Sana ee aces peceat ee aera 309, 000 
Otherecountries™e- see. ee eee Sets Senet elton Creme wc Mee aidisig ae cibiois Su eho oie ore ISS tons ere 45,000 
Notals2c2 ee Sara SSE Sate ASO SEE he SNS Oe ee ers Rae Se ents See ee Se ene eee tee sie 1,730, 000 
4 The circular of Montgomery & Co. for June 80, 1910, gives the revised figures for 1908 
as follows: United Kingdom, 99,000; Continent of Europe, 1,233,000; United States, 
315,000; other countries, 55,000; total, 1,702,000 tons. From this data the percentage 
of the total consumption for the United States is 18.51. 
From this it appears that of the total consumption of the year 
but 17.8 per cent was consumed in the United States. Analyzing 
_ the statement for the previous eight years, it appears that of the 
total that consumed in the United States was, in 1900, 12.6 per cent; 
1901, 14.1 per cent; 1902, 16.9 per cent; 1903, 18.76 per cent; 1904, 
19 per cent; 1905, 19.9 per cent; 1906, 21.7 per cent; 1907, 21.1 per 
cent; so that there was a steady increase in the proportion of the 
total consumed in the United States up to 1906, but that for the next 
two years there was a drop such that in 1908 our proportionate con- 
sumption was less than for any year since 1902. 
It is commonly understood that a much larger percentage of the 
Chilean nitrate is used in agriculture in Europe than is used in this 
industry in the United States, and that the proportion is steadily 
increasing. This use of nitrogenous fertilizers is in conformity 
with the teaching of Baron von Liebig, whose views have become 
gradually disseminated among the farmers. A marked impetus 
was given to this use of the Chilean nitrate by the remarkable 
