FERTILISERS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXIV, 21 January 1931, Page 7

FERTILISERS

A HUGE SCHEME A revolution in agriculture, states a Vancouver message, is promised when the first chemical fertiliser plaint, now being erected at a cost of £2,000.000 by tlie Consolidated Mining and Smelting Company at Trail, British Columbia, begins production for the fanners of the American and Canadian Prairie next spring. Agricultural experts from all parts of the world have visited the plant during the last year to study tho new synthetic fertiliser. Alining piopertics have 'been acquired in British Columbia and in the adjoining States of Washington and Idaho, from which the valuable potash or phosphates will bo procured which\will be used in the new processes, along with waste materials from the older units of tho world’s largest smelter at Trail. Smoke is being literally turned into gold in the new development. I lie fumes which formerly escaped through the vomit chimneys of the smelter will now bo saved and converted into many useful products, chief among which will be the super-triple phosphates which will be offered to the farmers, ’the three most essential plant-foods nitrogen, phosphorus, and potash—will be combined. Nitrates, now so commonly obtained from Chile, will be extracted fiom the air, phosphates from Fernie, near Trail, and potash from south of the American border. l't is proposed to produce fertiliser that will cater to the individual needs of each soil. For this purpose a survey of Canada’s surface soil will be made. Tlie opening of this new unit is the outstanding event of Canadian industry s in 1930. „ , rr .. The general manager of the Iran sine Iter, AL- S. O. Blaylock, believes that svnlhctic fertiliser will reduce labour costs on the farm by causing ono acre to do the work ot several. apid will make the small holding a prolific and economically managed property. lie says: “While animal fertiliser will be used more and more, the addition of cheap synthetic soil foods, such as Trail will manufacture, will cut out much waste effort in feeding and stabling unprofitable livestock. It should bo a boon to gardeners and horticulturists. In the event of the merging of farms m tlie wheat holt and further mechanisation of farms, cheap mineral fertiliser will make possible continuous maintenance of soil fertility.” . , . . Besides catering for the needs ot (aimers in North America, a mni'Rct for the new fertiliser will be sought in the Orient and on the l’acific littoral, m competition with Nauru Island phosphates, which have been purchased largely in tho. past by Japan, Austialiaj and New Zealand.