152 HAPPY INDIA 



take a long time before it is assimilated by the plant. 

 If the Indian Government was ready either to make 

 contracts with suitable capitalists or to find the 

 money itself, it might put up large works for the 

 manufacture of superphosphates, and for that purpose 

 it might buy sulphur either from the United States 

 or from Sicily, or in the alternative it might buy 

 sulphuric acid. Sulphuric acid is largely manufactured 

 in this country and in Europe from sulphur, which 

 is a waste product, as in the case of copper pyrites. 

 Sulphur has been sold free on board ship, both in 

 Sicily and in Texas, at between 4 and 5 a ton, 

 but it is highly probable that if some contractor on 

 behalf of the Indian Government was able to place 

 large and permanent orders, this material might 

 be put on board ship at a much lower price, so as 

 to be delivered in India at a price not exceeding 

 4 a ton. If this was done, the superphosphate might 

 be made in India at a price not exceeding that 

 previously mentioned of 3 a ton. In the same 

 way with regard to nitrate of soda, it is probably 

 quite possible to make some contracts with the 

 owners of the nitrate works in Chili to supply this 

 material in large quantities at a much lower price 

 than the usual price, also on the understanding that 

 it should only be delivered in India, and not be sold 

 from that country to any other country. The same 

 remarks apply to potash, whether in the form of kainit 

 or any other form. Now that India has got large 

 iron-works, and as a consequence large coke-oven 

 works, sulphate of ammonia is being made at these 



