MARKETS
Rain got into the fertilizer industry's fratir in the season just ended. The late, w e t spring cut i o t o sales and earn
ings over most of the nation. One exception: t h e Mid west, where plant food consumption w a s up as much a s 1 1 %
Fertilizers Hit by Weather Sales and earnings lov^er in most areas, continued trend to liquids shows u p ; Midwest does well X irz FERTILIZER YEAR that ends this
month was none too good in either sales o r profits. Fertilizer consumption, the Midwest excepted, .was undercut by a late, wet spring, restrictions on credit, and b y the federal Soil Bank program. There were trends, however, that were distinctly encouraging. One of them was t h e increased use of liquid fertilizer, according to a nation-wide survey of t h e situation appearing in the June issue of Agricultural and Food
Chemistry. Promotional efforts t o stimulate fertilizer use are also under w a y in most areas a n d these a r e ex p e c t e d to p a y dividends in the near future. Fertilizer sales were down in t h e South—as little as 2 % in some sections fcut 10 to 159& in others. I n addition t o the weather, d i e Soil Bank made it self felt again this year. I n the Delta a r e a about 25 a/c of all cotton land is in ithe bank. Effect of the federal pro
gram on fertilizer sales w a s somewhat less elsewhere, b u t it wras there never theless. ► Sales Up in Midwest. Plant food consumption in t h e Midwest was u p as much as 1 1 % over the 1956-57 season, d u e mostly to good weather a n d in creased farm income. N o t everyone shared in t h e upturn, a n d a note of pes simism w a s injected a t t h e start of t h e year by t h e increase i n nitrogen prices. Later, sales increased. O n t b e West Coast there were clouds, both climatic and economic, a n d d i e banks tightened u p on their loans to farmers. Liquid fertilizer business did much better this year, and i n some midwestern states the upturn was made at the expense of solids. Opinion t h e r e is
While weather idled farm equipment-, other factors com- for t h e farmer a n d t h e federal Soil Bank. I n the South's bined to chisel a w a y at sales. Among t l r e m : tighter credit Delta area, about 2 5 % of all cotton land is in t h e bank 36
C&EN
JUNE
16, 1 9 5 8
that the present trend toward hulk sales will not impede the liquid gains. The season saw a decided shift to hulk sales of all materials, especially in the North Central states. In Indiana they c a m e to 10% of the total in 1956 a n d 2 0 % in 1957. T h e Pacific Coast reports that the use of liquids there continues to g r o w even if the increase is not spectacular. In t h e East, most authorities look for a more tempered increase i n over-all liquid fertilizers, although d e m a n d var ies regionally. One large manufacturer sees the possibility of h i g h e r nitrogen ratio in the future, achieved through solid as well as liquid fertilizer. ► Lower Earnings. T h e profit side of the industry remains unsatisfactory and a n u m b e r of companies are giving serious study to this problem. Armour, for example, is looking for w a y s to hecome more basic in its operation. It seeks to acquire anhydrous ammonia and potash supplies to round out its plant food fine. It is now basic i n phos phates. Declining fertilizer sales and earnings this year were t h e lot of Spen cer, Monsanto, and International Min erals. Spencer says the d r o p i n earn ings during the first quarter of this year resulted mostly from cold, w e t weather and resulting poor plant food sales. Diammonium p h o s p h a t e p r o d u c e d by coke-oven interests is finding its way into production statistics b u t the expan sion is slow. Its use is u p in the South b u t thus far it accounts for only a small percentage of total fertilizer sales. Ammonium sulfate turned up in most sections of the country this season as the only nitrogen material in short sup ply. Its combined production b y coke ovens and synthetic sources fell sharply below last year. Sales of t h e coke-oven product during the first q u a r t e r dropped 2 1 % from the same p e r i o d i n 1957. Some ammonium sulfate n e e d s were filled by ammonium nitrate a n d urea. Partly as a result of this situation, ammonium nitrate sales, especially in bulk, spurted upward in some midwest states. Sellers are h o p i n g to hold on to this expanded market even after am monium sulfate again b e c o m e s more freely available. Nitrogen solutions are growing more popular, and this is said t o b o d e well for urea as well as for ammonium nitrate. Major expansions in midwestern urea manufacturing capacity now under way thus appear to b e justified. Part of the new production will b e aimed a t direct application, too. Ammonium nitrate sales on the Pacific Coast a r e brisk in
Versatile B&L Research Microscopes keep pace w i t h your progress You never outgrow your B&L Dynoptic Research Mi croscope. It grows with you. Whether for routine work or advanced research, it ac commodates the most com plete range of accessories (readily available) for visual microscopy, XJ-V and photomicrography. And what a pleasure to use! Dynoptic frictionless operation saves effort, saves time . . . assures crit ically focused, vivid images. Controls are positioned low for com fortable manipulation v i t h hand at rest on table. You remain re laxed, at ease, for your best work. Find out more about your lifetime compan ion in scientific achievement. Mail the coupon today.
F a r m e r s get more technical "jargon" than m a n y of them can absorb, say some authorities. Most concede t h a t farmer-education should start with soil tests like this check on soil acidity some quarters, slow in others. In the East, one of the largest producers looks for a continuing rise in agricultural de m a n d for urea. > Education Program. From the smallest dealer to t h e major basic prodi ?ers, industry people are studying the National Plant F o o d Institute survey w h i c h shook the fertilizer business right d o w n to bedrock. This survey showed that farmers have a healthy respect for fertilizers (Agricultural and Food Chemistry, April, 1 9 5 8 ) , but know sur prisingly little about their real value. Two out of three consider chemical fer tilizers a substitute for manure, their first choice. It is too soon to observe any specific results arising from t h e study, b u t many programs for promoting fertilizers and educating the farmer on their value are u n d e r way. In the Midwest, it is felt that the educational efforts should b e more basic. Information on the fine points of fertilizer use is wasted, it is thought, if the farmer has no fundamen tal understanding of w h a t it is all about. One thought has been that the farmer should b e shown t h a t fertilizer will in crease his crop yields. This is now favored less than t h e approach that fer tilizers are a route to higher profits. In the South, t h e view is also ex pressed that farmers* are being given m o r e technical "jargon" than they can absorb. Too many growers know little of t h e chemistry involved in fertilizers,
| | |
BAUSCH & LOMB OPTICAL CO. 74856 St. Paul St., Rochester 2 , Ν. Υ. ι—ι PJease send me B&L_pynqp_tic Research Microscope Catalog D-1057
ι I
L-J D
I | I
Schedule a demonstration at my convenience ■ NAME I TITLE
I
ADDRESS CITY
!- — — _
ZONE
STATE
— . - _ _ _ . - . _ ■ _ _ _
JUNE
16,
1958
C&EN
| I
J
37
WEEK'S PRICE CHANGES June 9, 1958 Advances CUKRENT
rnivi
AICOHUL
Copper scrap, l b . : Light No. 1 No. 2 Copra, coast, t o n Molasses, blackstrap, N.O., gal. Peanut o i l , crude, l b . T i n s a l t s , lb. : Potassium stannate Sodium stannate Stannous chloride, anhyd. Vanillin, 10O-lb. con tainers, l b . : 1000 l b . l o t s 5 0 0 l b . lots E t h y l , 100-lb. contain ers, l b . : 5 0 0 l b . lots 200 l b . lots
?
PREVIOUS
0.1725 S 0 . 1 5 7 5 O.2OV2 0.21 0.19 0.19V2 183.00 184.00 0.14V4 0.18
0.14 0.17»/4
0.755 0.608
O.750 O.603
0.965
0.958
3.00 3.10
2.85 2.95
6.75 7.00
6.40 6.65
0.57 0.58 0.13V4 0.13 »A 0.11
0.67 0.68 0.13«/8 0.13»/8 O.HV2
0.13V4 0.1345 0.1360 0.123/4 0.1560
0.13V4 0.1395 0.1410 0.13V4 0.1610
0.3G26 0.3984
0.36476 O.400Ô7
52.003 0.10 /4 0.94 »/»
53.00 0.1 O V 8 0.94*/4
Declines
Rossville Hexagon Co'ogne Spirits —grain alcohol f o r the finest cosmetics. 190 proof, pure or spe cially denatured.
D e n a t u r e d —all s p e c i a l l y d e n a t u r e d f o r m u l a s authorized by ATTD as well as a l l completely de natured alcohol formulas.
Rossville A l g r a i n ® — g r a i n alcohol for cosmetic and flavoring extracts. 190 proof, pure or specially denatured.
Proprietary Solvents—Shellacol® and Quakersol®.
Rossville Gold S h i e l d ® - h i g h quality for indus t r i a l , s c i e n t i f i c , pharmaceutical and cosmetic uses. 190 or 200 proof, pure or specially denatured.
CSC CHEMICALS ALCOHOLS
Specify CSC f o r dependable service coast to coast. Get fast delivery in tank cars, compartment tank cars, tank t r u c k s , 1-sal. cans, 5-gal. and 54-gal. drums. Pure alcohol also available in pint, quart and gallon bottles.
FOR
INDUSTRY
NITROPARAFFINS
Methanol Butanol Ethyl Alcohol
AMINES AND AMMONIA Ammonia, Anhydrous and Aqua Ammonium Nitrate, Solid and 8 3 % Sol. Methylamines Benzyltrimethylammonium Chloride Hydroxyethyltrimethylammoniumbicarbonate
ESTERS Amyl Acetate Butyl Acetate Butyl Lactate Butyl Stéarate Dibutyl Phthalate Ethyl Acetate Tributyl Phosphate
COMMERCIAL
Nitroethane 2-Nitropropane Nitromethane 1-Nitropropane Alkaterges Diamines Aminohydroxy Compounds Nitrohydroxy Compounds Chloronitroparaffins
PHARMACEUTICALS, BULK Bacitracin Cycloserine Riboflavin, U.S.P. and U.S.P., R.S.
OTHER CHEMICALS Acetone
Formaldehyde Pentaerythritol
SOLVENTS
CORPORATION
ATLANTA, GA. · BOSTON, MASS. · CHICAGO, ILL. · CINCINNATI, OHIO · CLEVELAND, OHIO DETROIT, MICH. · HOUSTON, TEXAS · INDIANAPOLIS, IND. · KANSAS CITY, MO. · LOS ANGELES, CALIF. · LOUISVILLE, KY. · MEMPHIS, TENN. · MILWAUKEE, WISC. · MINNEAPOLIS, MINN. NEWARK, N. J. . NEW ORLEANS, LA. . PHILADELPHIA, PA. . PITTSBURGH, PA. . PORTLAND, ORE. ST. LOUIS, MO. · ST. PAUL, MINN. . SAN FRANCISCO, CALIF. . STERLINGT0N, LA. . IN MEXICO: C0MS0LMEX, S.A., MEXICO 7, D.F. · IN CANADA: McARTHUR CHEMICAL CO., MONTREAL, QUE.
C&EN
JUNE
16, 1 9 5 8
and care less. Most everyone concedes that a good educational program i n this case begins with soil tests. Some com panies test soil samples in their o w n labs free of charge. Others foot the bill for soil analyses. More adequate labeling, it is held i n the West, does not reach the nonfertilizing farmer, the big objective in this drive. F o r example, i t has been sug gested that "5-10-5" b e spelled out t o nitrogen, phosphate, a n d potash, a m o n g other things. But t h e more effective artillery to aim at those who don't u s e fertilizer is the test plot, many believe. In the East, for example, Penn State is engaged i n a program of free testing sponsored b y t h e Grange League F e d eration.
CSE
2 6 0 Madison A v e n u e , New York 1 6 , New York
38
Alcohol, polyvinyl, fully hydrolyzed, lb. : T a n k cars Carlots C o r n oil, c r u d e , t k s - , lb. Cottonseed oil, valley, l b . Lead metal, l b . L e a d o x i d e s , c a r l o t s , lb. : Red lead, 9 5 % , dry 97% 98% Litharge Orange mineral Lead, tetraethyl, tanks, lb.: Motor mix Aviation m i x Soybean meal, Decatur, ton S o y b e a n oil, D e c a t u r , l b . Tin metal, l b .
► Du Pont Co., Wilmington, Del., effected price reductions ranging from 4.5 to 1 5 % on five grades of Elvanol polyvinyl alcohol. T h e grade used for adhesives, paper and textile sizes is now 5 7 cents per pound. When D u Pont pioneered production in 1939 Elvanol sold for $1.25.
