294 AGRICULTURAL, ANALYSIS 



At the present time the collection and export of saltpeter 

 from Chile is a business of great importance. The largest ex- 

 port prior to 1895, in any one year, was in 1890, when 

 the amount exported was 927,290,430 kilograms; of this quan- 

 tity 642,506,985 kilograms were sent to Europe and 86,124,870 

 kilograms to the United States. Since that time the imports of 

 this salt into the United States have slowly increased. 



The exportations from Chile during the years 1903, 1904 and 

 1905 were 1,445,000, 1,480,000 and 1,627,000 tons of 2204 

 pounds, respectively. During these three years there were im- 

 ported directly into the United States 90,000, 75,000 and 117,000 

 tons, respectively. 54 The consumption of nitrate of soda in the 

 United States is greater than the direct importation indicates, 

 since considerable quantities come into the country from Europe. 

 The total consumption in Europe in 1903 was 1,296,694 tons, 

 and in the United States 259,993 tons. The total quantity of the 

 salt exported from Chile from 1840 to 1903, inclusive, is 25,947,- 

 944 tons. The total quantity produced in Chile in 1905 was 

 1,733,644 tons, three-quarters of which were used as fertilizers. 

 The quantity coming to the United States during that year was 

 353,177 tons. The total nitrate production of Chile in 1907 was 

 2,100,000 short tons of which 373,988 tons, valued at $13,118,214 

 were directly or indirectly imported into the United States. The 

 ratio of increase in exportation is rapidly decreasing, having fallen 

 from 124 per cent, for the five years 1870-74 to 11.5 per cent. 

 for the four years I9OO-O3. 55 In 1905 there were 78 factories 

 in Chile engaged in the nitrate industry. In order to maintain 

 prices a trust of the operators has been formed, regulating the 

 amount which each factory may produce. About 55 tons of 

 salt are produced annually for each laborer employed. The price 

 per ton to wholesale American consumers ranges from $45 to $53. 

 It is estimated that at the present rate of consumption, the sup- 

 ply from Chile will rapidly diminish in about 20 years. 56 



According to Pissis these deposits are of very ancient origin. 

 84 L'Engrais, 1906, 21 : 35. 



55 American Fertilizer, 1905, 22 : 5. 



56 American Fertilizer, 1905, 22 : 6. 



