The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1899-09-21
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ACRICUL TURE

a UkIGULIUkE
sTATE CHEMIST WHITES LET.
TEX on EIissi ENrsIN PLANT
AND ANIMAL LIFE.
4 NATURE SHORT ON PROTEIN
Clover and L"surnes Highly Favored
In Absorption of Food From
| the Atmosphere. q. 50
A. B. C.-Dear Sir: In my last letter
Iwrote You about the carbohydrates,
the functions which they I'LL in the ami.
NAL economy, and gave you some of
the reasons for their abundance and
cheapness. / also indicated some of the
uses OF protein and what an important
part of our bodies 1t was, also that it
was costly material compared with the
carbohydrates and promised to give you
some of the reasons why it was more
costly. Nature can afford to be gener.
Gus and even lavish with the carbohy.
drates, because she is saving and even
stingy with the water and carbonic
acid which enter into their composition;
not pound of either does she allow to
go to waste. Apparently, She is very
prodigal with both, but in reality not
The fioodgates of Heaven open and pour
out millions of gallons of water in
places where 1t is needed, aud also in
places where it is not needed, but every
drop which is not absorbed and used by
the thirsty earth runs back into the sea
ready to be distilled again and again
from its surface by the heat Of the sun
and used over again and again. and the
same with carbonic acid gas, as illus.
trated to You in my last letter.
That Is the highest sort OF economy,
which uses its raw materials over and
over again without their ever wearing
ont But in the case of protein Mother
Nature is not so generous as with carlo.
hydrates. Indeed, She is stingy and mig.
gardly, and why9 Because She is waste.
full of her raw material. Nitrogen is the
essential element In the raw material out
Of which protein is built. Like carbonic
acid, nitrogen is also a gas, colorless
and invisible. 1t constitutes in round
numbers four-6fths, or 80 per cent of
the atmosphere. We inhale it in every
breath. but it has no effect upon as
whatever, merely serving to dilute the
oxygen, which supports our life and
which constitutes the remaining fifth of
the atmosphere. For illustration, let
MS suppose we burn up the dead body Of
q dog and at the same time pile of
wood. In the act of burning, the pro-
tein which forms so large part of the
animals body IS decomposed and its nj
trogen escapes into the atmosphere, not
to be taken up and used over again by
growing plants, like the carbonic acid
and water which result from burning
the pile Of wood, but to remain as an
inert gas in the atmosphere, unable to
enter into or be absorbed by the grow.
ing crops about which 1t circulates. AL.
though they may be in sore need and
distress for the lack Of that very nitrogen,
they cannot absorb 1t and use it while
still IN the gaseous form, although there
are oceans of is around and about and
touching them.
To illustrate again, let MS suppose
the dead body of the dog decays in
the earth in the neighborhood OF
growing crops, the nitrogen of the
body will be converted by slow process
OF decay and by the agency OF the pu.
trefactive organisms or microbes into
ammonia and nitrates. In this last
form OF nitrate. which il familiar to
You In the white salt, known as salt.
peter. the roots of the plant are at last
able TO absorb the nitrogen. which CON.
stituted q part OF the animals body and
to use and work II over in their little
cells and bodies and thus convert 10 into
vegetable protein, which 10 then in q
condition to be eaten by animals, say
by q sheep. and thus to become q part
Of the lean meat Of its body. which in
turn being eaten by man as mutton, be.
comes portion of his body.
But observe the wastefulness of nature
in this cas- ; unless that carcass decay at
the proper time and place in the vicinity
of growing crops or plants there is griev.
Gus waste. The protein of the body
will decay as usual and be converted by
the nitrifying organisms or microbes
mentioned above into nitrates. Now
these nitrates are very soluble in water
and unless the roots Of the plants are at
hand TO appropriate them they are car.
Red Of in the drainage waters into the
springA creeks and rivers and pass into
the sea, O eosal loss 90 far rs Agriculs.
ure is concerned.
: BY rejecting on these facts you will
begin TO appreciate the value OF solu.