The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1913-01-16
ON BOARD THE GOOD SHIP EARTH
Get,ng Food Ouf eftAe Atmosphere
BY HERBERT QUICK.

that illmitable OF nitrogen about our heads
shall all gradually die out OF starvation. There
way out OF it-human life Is based plant life and,
plant life nitrogen and the liked nitrogen supply Is
approaching exhaustion So said science through Sir
William Crookes.
But the good farmers OF the world always felt that
Sir William bit on. They knew that when they
planted clover beans vetch peanuts or any other To-
guminousthat Is podbearing-crop, and plowed II UNI
der the soil seemed richer in nitrogen afterwards Sci
said that that couldn't De. For. said science.
a the nitrogen the legume gets II gets from the soil,
and you can't get any more by blowing back what
you've just taken outl" Moreover. the scientists
proved" by experiment that the podbearers DON'T
But" said the good farmer. scratching his head 1T
IS richer for all that!
"Nonsense!" said science.
And then the most wonderful discovery OF agricul-
turaI science convinced the wise that
was right Science found the roots OF these e
gumnous plants. little knobs like tiny potatoes. and
In the knobs millions upon millions Of little plants
called bacteria, small be invisible to the
naked eye We used to think they disease galls
Suddenly through the patient researches OF science the
formed these bacteria unlike the big plants. have
the power take free nitrogen out OF the air In the
Science threw up its hat We needn't starve for lack
OF nitrogenl Colonel North's descendants can't look
forward the time when the other Passengers on the
good ship Earth win come crawling on their bellies.
begging nitrates duplicating for the privilege OF living
board while longer. We can get our nitrogen out
When God started to build a world. he started from
the bottom. When the first plants evolved they
had be plants which could get nitrogen from the air,
because there in the rocks The first plants
were onecelled plants which could do this When the
clover began business the bacteria came around and
asked the privilege building houses In which to live
on the clover Certainly" said the clover. But
you've got pay rent "An right" said the bacteria.
wen furnish the nitrogen II you'll look out for the
other table board. and the matter Of lodging Is IT
gof" Its gol" said the legume; and they have been
partners since, each living the other and oil
taking nitrogen out OF the air for themselves and other
plants.
In the crust of the earth there Ii only trace of nit
rogen and all there Is far know, IL In the soil
suppose that all OF It which IL In the soil has been
taken from the air by the bacteria and fung-Coonel
Norths and AL the these tiny, tiny passengers
had come aboard millions of years before
could have into being Despise not the day
of small things The basis OF all life II the Life which
is too small to be seen by the microscope.
often wonder what we should have done about
Norths monopoly. II Crookes had not been mistaken.
Would other Passengers have recognized lis paper
title TO the power to starve them? wonder! The
courts Of would have stood for Colonel North
See tomorrows Times for announcement Of the nsxt
article In thls great series-