Part I.] REPORT OF SECRETARY. 25 



business should be attractive to those in remote sections from a 

 market, or where shipping facilities render it impossible to ship 

 out the fresh product. 



The Fertilizer Situation. 



The fertilizer situation, as outlined in my last annual report, 

 has been profoundly affected by the war, and during 1910 has 

 been anything but favorable for the farmer. The outlook for 

 1917 is not bright; in fact, nothing but the cessation of hostilities 

 and the resumption of imports of potash and basic slag from 

 Germany can materially lower prices. There have been no im- 

 ports of potash salts from Germany since January, 1915, com- 

 pared with a normal importation of 800,000 tons., 



The price of muriate of potash is now quoted at $450 to $460 

 per ton, and sulphate at $275 to $300. These quotations are 

 practically nominal as it is almost impossible to secure the raw 

 material. Chilean nitrate has continued high, and at present 

 it is quoted at $70 a ton, about the same as last year. The 

 fertilizer companies have been unable to secure basic slag from 

 Germany, and the slag produced in this country is not of the 

 required quality for fertilizing purposes. Acid phosphate is 

 about SO per cent higher in price than before the war. jNIixed 

 fertilizers have been sold, for the most part, on a no potash 

 basis, and in some cases, notably in the Aroostook County 

 potato-growing sections, some remarkable results have been 

 obtained with these no potash fertilizers. Of course, this was 

 on land which had received applications of potash during pre- 

 vious yekrs, so that the crop must have been drawing on the 

 reserve supply in the soil. 



The attempts to find profitable sources of potash in this 

 country have continued. One source has been the waters of 

 Jesse Lake in Nebraska, the evaporation of which has yielded 

 some potash; and the same thing has been done with Searles 

 Lake in California, with Great Salt Lake in Utah, and with sea 

 water in California. The kelp of the Pacific coast has yielded 

 some potash, as has the flue dust of cement works in parts of 

 California and Maryland, and an alunite plant in Utah. It has 

 been stated, however, on reliable authority, that if all the 

 potash-producing plants in the United States were operated at 



