Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1894-11-22
HOW NATURE MAKES FOOD.
Chemists After the Secret and Think
They VIII Master 1t.

They VIII Master 1t.
While in, ention has produced many
substances which in part replace wood
and other organic materials, the fact,
remains that man is to-day almost as
dependent for his comfort and very
life on the vegetable world as were his
ancestors In more primitive times. The
ANTAGONISTS have had long disputes as
to mans place in the scale Of food con-
sumption, whether he is properly ON
nivorouS or not. Whether carnivorous
or vegetarian. his food derives its ulti-
mate origin in the wonderful chemical
decomposition and syntbeSis effected
by the vegetable kingdom. The highest
triumphS of synthetic chemistry have
not yet succeeded in producing his food
from h chemical elements. The pro-
duction Of self-supporting aquaria, con.
slsting OF tanks Of water in which
plant life and fish life are so exactly
balanced that there Is a miniature self
supporting world within the four glass
plates, has beel: a favorite scientific
amusement with many. On our globe
we see a singular thing in the relations
OF the animal and vegetable kingdoms.
Unfortunately, man is not content with
exterminating wild animals: he is not
satisfied with utilizing for himself all
vegetable nature; but he extermiIates
most recklessly the forests whose
leaves are taking care OF his own vitiat-
ed respiratory products.
The earth contains plant and animal
life, each n taking care Of the pro-
duets of the life of the other kind. The
animals expires carbon dioxide gas
the product Of the combination Of oXy-
gen Of the air with the carbon Of the
body. In n painless globe this gas
would constantly increase in the at
mosphere, to the eventual deterioration
OF the air; but the plant life disposes
of this product; separates the carbon
from the oxygen, and still more Won
derful, effects n of the most difficult
Of syntheses, and unites the carbon
with hydrogen, producing vegetable
substance Of different kinds. The puri-
fcation Of the air by plants. owing to
the enormous volume Of the atmos-
phere and its relatively slow contain
nation, is of secondary Importance to
the production of plant substance. On
the products of vegetation man de-
ponds for nearly everything, for food,
raiment and heat. Not content with
reckless deforestation. he draws upon
the accumulated stores of the preced-
ing geological eras, and in burning coal,
probably petroleum and natural gas,
Is drawing upon the remains Of veget;,-
ton Of the carboniferous and other
ages.
Plants by their vital power effect
two specially difficult chemical actions
--fhn dn0nTnF nnRfTfnn Of anVlnN lsnxf1A
gas, and then combine the separated
carbon with hydrogen. Absolutely no
practical way OF doing these things
has been as yet found by man. 1t is
only by n laboratory experiment that
either of these two reactions IL carried
out. 1t may be said that every steam
engine depends for its fuel on decom-
posed carbon dioxide gas, and every pc
troleum lamp represents the utilization
of the decomposition and subsequent
synthesis which we have spoken of.
In the matter Of food man Is still more
dependent on the vegetable world.
Very few artifically produced food
products have ever been made, and
these few may have their origin traced
to some vegetable product. The glu-
cose factories use a product Of vegeta-
ton as the base of their operations.
Until we succeed In bringing chemistry
to a point of perfection hardly dream
ed OF by the most visionary, man will
continue to depend upon the soil for
his very life. He may selfishfy feel
that all this Is Of interest only for sub
sequent generations, but to every en-
lightened mind the reckless waste Of
vegetable resources, among which may
be included coal. petroleum and natur-
al gas. is highly repugnant-Scientifc
American.