A VALUABLE DISCOVERY

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8341, 25 January 1907, Page 5

A VALUABLE DISCOVERY

Received January 24, 8.22 a.m. LONDON, January 23. Leading British and German scientists agree as to the enormous importance to 1 agriculture of the discovery of a process of extracting nitric acid from the atmosphere. Professor J. J. Thomson, Cavendish, Professor of Experimental Physics, Cambridge, and author of several ' scientific work 3, says extraction is only possible with cheap water-power, as in the case of the Birkeland process, which has already been commercially utilised in Norway. (The cable message above has reference to a previous despatch in which it was stated that Professor Sir William Crookes, F.R.S., proprietor and editor of the Chemical News, and two professors of Fribourg University, had discovered a process of extracting nitric acid from the atmosphere, rendering it possible to greatly fertilise wheat lands and increase their yields. Further information on the subject was sought yesterday from Professor Easterfield, of the Victoria University College professorial staff. He pointed .'out that the atmosphere contains about 80 per cent, of nitrogen, | which, owing to its inertness, is practically unavailable as plant food, nor can it be fixed economically for the manufacture of nitre acid or ammonia. At present the world's supply of nitric acid is deprived from the nitric deposits and ottier tropical districts. Hence for-the.manufacture of explosives it is evident that command of the sea by one country might in time of war deprive another country of the means of manufacturing ammunition. This difficulty actually arose in the Napoleonic wars, when Great Britain, owing to Jher command of the sea, cut off the* supply of nitre to Continental countries. The importance of being able to fix atmospheric nitrogen was -still further emphasised when Gilbert and Lames showed that nitrates or ammonia were necessary as constituents of plant foods. Very many have been made to solve this ' problem. One method was consistent in passing atmospheric nitrogen over heated calcium carbide, whereby a substance known as cyanamide is formed, and this in contact with water is slowly transformed into£ammonia. Another method depends upon the fact discovered more than 100 years ago. that electric sparks cause the nitrogen and oxygeri of the air to slowly combine. This process has been modified in recent years by passing air between a specially shaped electric arc, and absoi-ption of theresuiting oxides of nitrogen by [potash or soda, i This process is economically carried out in Norway," where the supply of cheap power enables electric energy to be developed at a minimum cost. —Post).