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THE POTASH SITUATION. 
2. Lake and Mineral Spring Waters.—As a rule, in the analyses available, the 
tash has not been separately determined, and where it has, no cases have been 
noticed of any large content of this alkali. A systematic examination of these 
natural resources is called for, however, and has been recommended for inclusion 
in the early activities of the permanent Institute. ’ 
3. Alunite—There are large deposits, said to be the most extensive in the 
world, of alunite at Bulladellah, in New South Wales, and at Carrickalinga, in 
South Australia. In its natural state, this basic potassium and aluminium 
sulphate is insoluble and difficult to treat, so what little has been mined has been 
shipped to Europe for extraction of the potash and alums. 
A Special Committee of the Institute has investigated the problem of its 
treatment, and has shown that if it be roasted at a carefully-controlled tempera- 
ture, potassium sulphate*is rendered soluble and the alumina is left in a form 
suitable for use in the manufacture of metallic aluminium. But the economic 
utilization of alunite obviously depends, after technical difficulties have been 
overcome, on having a market available for both products, and at present no 
aluminium is made in Australia. 
It is not surprising, then, that comparatively little use has so far been made 
of the Australian deposits, though in America large quantities of potash have 
been obtained from alunite during the past two. or three years. 
4. Flue Dust from Blast Furnaces and Cement Works.—Investigations were 
made and analyses carried out on these waste products, but in every case ‘it 
soon became apparent that the iron ores and clays used in the Australian 
industries were much freer from potash than those used in England and America, 
and the flue dusts produced here rarely average more than 2 or 3 per cent., as 
compared with 5 to 10 per cent. in other countries, where they are worked as a 
profitable source of potash salts. In some cases, indeed, ‘special potash-bearing 
ores and clays were introduced to enable the potash to be extracted. 
5. Coal Ashes—Again the same story holds good, for the ashes of Australian 
coals rarely contain more than 3 to 1 per cent. of potash. In response to a 
request for advice as to their value as an agricultural fertiliser, analyses were 
recently made by the Institute on flue dusts obtained from the Electric Power 
Station at Richmond, where Newcastle and mixed Australian coals were used. 
The analyses shows that the total potash contents are only 0.05 per cent., and of 
this merely traces are soluble. These dusts are evidently worthless as a potash 
or phosphoric acid fertiliser, though their physical properties may give’ them 
some value for top dressing. . sa 
6. Plant Ashes—Many plants have been suggested. A number of the 
eucalypts were examined by Baron yon Mueller many years ago, and isolated 
analyses have been recorded from time to time. Usually they are low, the highest 
figures (about 10 per cent.) being obtained from the ashes of the leaves; and a 
proposal was considered for the working up of the residual leaves at eucalyptus 
oil distillation plants, but it is doubtful whether, taking into account the small 
quantities available, the potash recovered would pay for cost of collection and 
lixiviation of the ashes. Probably they can be most profitably employed as an 
agricultural fertiliser in their immediate locality so as to avoid high costs of 
transport. . 
The salt bush has been suggested, but it was found that this once abundant 
shrub is now too sparsely distributed to be of value, although its potash content 
is comparatively high (16 to 18 per cent.). 
The prickly pear ash contains about 8 per cent of potash, but experiments 
on its extraction have apparently not been commercially successful. 
The water hyacinth, that pest of Queensland rivers, has to be dredged and 
hauled ashore to get rid of it. Analyses carried out by the Institute show that 
its ashes contain about 11 per cent. of potash, and therefore it could be utilized 
as a fertiliser under favorable circumstances. 
7. Summary.—tIn short, with the exception of alunite, Australia seems to be 
deficient in high-grade sources of potash, but many waste products are available, 
chiefly in the form of ashes, whose potash contents are moderately low, and which 
can probably be best utilized as an agricultural fertiliser. 
In this connexion, it must be borne in mind that in Australia, at all events 
in the wheat-growing areas, the soil is already so well endowed with potash as to 
render any further addition an unprofitable extravagance, except for orchards 
and special crops. 
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