238 German Artificial Manures Industry. 



potassium salt mines at Stassfurt, and of the Anhalt salt 

 strata. 



Prussia began to mine the potassium salts at Stassfurt in 

 i860, and up to 1890 the value of the total quantity mined 

 amounted to ,£6,000,000. Anhalt followed shortly afterwards 

 with an even larger amount, as it possesses the mineral 

 kainit, which is extremely valuable for agricultural purposes. 

 The total value of the production from Prussia and Anhalt 

 between i860 and 1890 amounted to £11,500,000 (3,181,878 

 tons). In 1890 itself there were extracted from mines 362,000 

 tons of kainit and 913,000 tons of other potassium salts; 

 quantities which had increased to 1,104,000 tons of kainit and 

 1,105,000 tons of other potassium salts in 1898. 



In 1872 Germany produced 5,000 tons of sulphate of 

 ammonia, the European production being 42,000 tons ; in 

 1897 Germany produced 16,000 tons -in the various gasworks 

 and 74,000 tons in the coke ovens, or together 90,000 tons. 

 The 74,000 tons from the coke ovens could perhaps be trebled 

 if all the ammonia which is allowed to escape into the air 

 during the formation of coke were utilised. 



The home production was, however, not sufficient to meet 

 the demand, because ammonia is not only needed for 

 agricultural purposes, but latterly also for the manufacture of 

 soda, aniline dyes, ice, and for cleaning wool. For this 

 reason about 26,000 tons of sulphate of ammonia, valued at 

 £275,000, were imported in 1897. 



The import of saltpetre (chiefly Chili saltpetre) into 

 Germany has also grown with great rapidity from 6,700 tons 

 in i860 to over half a million tons in 1899. 



The production of superphosphate of lime in Germany 

 was only 1,000 tons in 1867, and 7,600 tons in 1872 ; this had 

 increased to 400,000 tons in 1883 and to 750,000 tons (for 

 which 400,000 tons of sulphuric acid were required) in 1899. 

 Almost the total German consumption of superphosphate 

 is now produced at home. 



The discovery of superphosphate of lime is principally 

 attributed to Liebig, who in 1848 advocated the treatment of 

 bones for manuring purposes with sulphuric acid, in order to 

 enable them to be more easily assimilated by the soil. The 



