SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY. 
Practically the-whole of the world’s demand was met by the Chile 
-nitrate and by-product ammonia industries, the output of the synthetic 
industry being relatively insignificant in spite of its notable: develop- 
ment during the years 1903°to- 1913. > ~ E ; eee oat 
_ The relation between the output of ammonia nitrogen’ and of. 
nitrate nitrogen was undergoing modification on account of the rapid 
growth of the by-product industry, which expanded by more than 150 
per cent. during the period 1903-1913 as compared with an expansion 
of over 70 per cent. in the case of the Chile nitrate industry. 
The Chile nitrate industry provided about two-thirds of the world’s 
supplies of combined nitrogen in 1908, and about three-fifths in 1913, 
the market price of the nitrate governing that of combined nitrogen. 
_ The market price of combined nitrogen during the years 1903-1913, 
although showing considerable fluctuations, was characterized by a 
general upward tendency. : 
The synthetic industry, although in its infancy, was in a position 
to place nitrogenous fertilizers upon the market at a price comparing 
not unfavorably with the current market prices of nitrate and ammonia 
nitrogen. 
The war, however, has been responsible for profound modifications 
in the relative positions of the nitrogen industries, the special combina- 
tion of circumstances characterizing the war having led to an enormous 
expansion of the nitrogen fixation processes. It has been found 
that, in consequence of recent developments, the estimated productive 
capacity of the nitrogen fixation installations represented about 10 per 
cent. of the world’s supplies of combined nitrogen in 1914, and has 
grown to about 28 per cent. at the present time. The post-war pro- 
duction ‘of ammonium sulphate, both synthetic and by-product, may 
account for about 39 per cent. of the world’s supplies of xed nitrogen 
as compared with a figure of 41 per cent. for Chile nitrate. The 
supremacy of the Chilean nitrate industry is already being challenged 
on account of the war developments, and the near future holds out the 
prospect that the markét price of ammonium sulphate or of synthetic 
products may govern that of Chile nitrate instead of following it as 
hitherto. . While the post-war supply of fixed nitrogen potentially 
available for the world’s requirements is likely to be of the order of 
1,000,000 metric tons or over per annum, an increase of from 30 to 40 
per cent. upon ‘the pre-war production, the total increase in the 
world’s productive capacity during the war period does not appear to 
be greater than would have been the case under: normal conditions had 
the ordinary rate of growth in consumption in the pre-war period been 
maintained during the last four years. — Spee 
It is, perhaps, a matter for surprise that the total increase has not 
been greater, in accordance with general impressions of the position. 
The explanation is clearly seen to be that there has been a relatively 
small expansion of the two major industries during the war, the great 
development having been confined to synthetic processes which were 
only responsible for an insignificant préportion of the world’s supplies 
before the war. : 
232 
