Weller Noble, retiring chairman of Fertilizer Association board of directors, Lock woody whose resignation as president has just been announced, R. E. Yoeler,
the National with M. H. of the NFA Ohio Apricul-
rural Experiment Station, discussed "The Ohio Program" and J. T. Saunders, counsel for the Grange, suggested a permanent soil and water-use and the probable role of fertilizers in such a
Fertilizer Production in Increase \
S T A F F RKPORT
J. HE fertilizer industry can look forward to an increase of 8% in volume of production during the coming year, predicted Maurice H. Lockwood, in his presidential report at the twenty-third annual convention of the National Fertilizer Association at White Sulphur Springs, June 21 to 23. Announcing that the 1947-48 volume was 18,860,000 tons, 1 2 % over the previous year, Mr. Lockwood said that production would reach 20,369,000 tons in 1948-49, assuming no depressing effects from strikes, transportation stoppages, or other handicaps. Almost all units in the industry, as well as most areas in the U. S., have experienced a demand for nitrogen greater than the supply, he said in reporting on a recent NFA survey on supply and demand. Unfilled demand, as indicated in more than 100 returns from members, amounts to about 30% for all fertilizer nitrogen and 35% for solid nitrogen for direct application use. Assuming this year's fertilizer nitrogen supply for the U. S. and its possessions is 850,000 tons of nitrogen, the unfilled
demand is 255,000 tons of nitrogen. Similarly, if the nitrogen used in direct application materials is 340,000 tons, there was a n unfilled demand for an additional 1 19,000 tons of nitrogen in solid form for such use. For the three principal plant foods, Mr. Lockwood made the following predictions:
N PJOS
KsO
Ksti mate Estimate 1047-48, 1948-49. Tons Tons 850,000 884,000 1,000,000 2,090,000 1,000,000 1,080,000
3 Major nutrients 3,750,000 4.054,000 304,000 (8%) Tons 18,860,000 20,309,000 1.509,000 (8%)
In discussing the possibility of expansion of fertilijcr nitrogen production, Mr. Lockwood said the disposal of ordnance plants now producing ammonium nitrate for the army export program is an important factor in the picture. He pointed out that the N F A has repeatedly urged that the ordnance plants be sold or leased to proprietary operators.
H. B. Siewns, Swift & Co., participates in the demons tration by NFA9s Plant Food Research Com mit tee. Wheeler IMcMillen, editor-in-chief of the Farm Journal, spoke on,, "The
1986
Estimated Increase, Tons 34,000 (4%) 190.000 (10%) 80,000 (9%)
Another important topic of discussion at the meeting was the method of distribution of fertilizer by the Tennessee Valley Authority. Both Weller Noble, chairman pf the board of directors of NFA, and Mr. Lockwood commented upon the meeting of N F A representatives with T V A officials at Florence, Ala. According to their remarks the principal point of discussion between the two groups concerned a pattern adopted by TVA for marketing; namely, distribution t o cooperatives. The industry representatives, said Mr. Noble, very positively expressed the opinion that an agency of the Government supported (at least, in part) by taxes should not discriminate for or against any segment of industry— that cooperative organizations and proprietary firms should be afforded equal opportunity to purchase TVA's products, just as is the case for all other materials used in the production of fertilizers. Mr. Noble went on to say that at the Florence meeting the TVA spokesmen explained their present policy but agreed to give the N F A proposal further consideration. Since then, he said, the N F A has received a letter from T V A Chairman Clapp repeating in detail a description of the method of distribution (Continued on page 2025)
Kingdom of Plants"; "Some Implications tility" was discussed by Howard W. Selby, of the Ccrtifietl Milk Producer's Association
CHEMICAL
Land-Use National program program
AND
of Soil Ferrepresentative of America
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DISTILLATION
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W e can forward immediately performance and cost data on a new packing for distillation and absorption columns. It is now possible to have over 100 theoretical plates at low cost in 2-inch diameter columns and larger. Write for Bulletin 7.
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SCIENTIFIC DEVELOPMENT C O . Box 795 State College, Pa.
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Fertilizer Pro
