9 
with other kelps of giant dimensions. This grows attached to 
the bottom in water that is mostly from 20 to 70 feet in average 
e w 
with | ae pe opel, sometimes even with steamboats. ok tories 
of th da 
length of 700 feet or 
place in a selenune literatures but the greatest ae of a single 
plant so far as yet determined b measurement is, I 
believe, about 200 fee he species ae through the winter 
and appears to be perennial in habit undant, locally at 
a. 
During the past four or five summers the Bureau of Soils has 
surveyed the kelp beds of California, Oneon Wastineta on, ae 
Alaska, ha publish ed 
1 } } o q 41 “ J 44 
bulk of the; gross material represented by these beds. Analyses 
of the principal kinds of western kelps from various localities 
and iodine conten s a result of these surveys and analyses, 
the officials of the Bureau of ee ane of the Pepareacnt of 
of our Pacific coast seaweeds. Dr. Frank K. Cameeon of the 
Bureau of Soils sta 
“Assuming also ae at least two crops a year of Macrocystis 
can be harvested on pa lloras coasts we ep as the totals 
tons of fresh cae _esuivaent ies 2,266,000 tons of Gein 
chloride. At the nt time the total imports of potash salts 
of all kinds is ae ,000,000 tons, equivalent to about 400,000 
tons of pure potassium chloride. That is to say, the giant kelps 
ally yield an annu ‘i output of potassium me 
the equivalent of the potassium salts now imported into een 
United States. It is hardly to be assumed that any such harvest 
elp is soon, if ultimately, to be realized; but it is practicable, 
* Potash from kelp, U.S. Dept. Agr. Rep. 100: 30, 31. 
