Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1914-10-16
MAN AND HIS FOOD.

The United States department OF
agriculture recently issued q report
showing that climate is the principal
factor in determining the varying
characteristics of wheat grown IN dii'
ferent regions. The bureau Of chem
istry had previously called attention
to the fact that environment had more
influence upon the crop than mad the
composition Of the seed. And now
these new tests show that In environ
ment climate plays a more important
part than soil
The source of all life-the sun-con-
tains within it practically everything
Of which this earth is composed. anc
II Is on the products Of sunlight, there
fore, that we have to depend tor the
source OF all human energy. Con-
versely. 1t is logical, then. to look for
any absence of human energy or har-
mony in some lack of this universal
driving power.
Passing sunlight through prism
splits 1t into bands Of color which we
know as the spectrum. The spectrum
is made up of six prominent hues.
supplemented by multitude Of sub
ordinate ones, the total number which
the eye can recognize as distinct being
not less than 1000. each one of which
corresponds to q definite wave length
of light and each probably producing
some definite physical reactions on
similar substances.
At the red end of the spectrum we
find the long waves and at the violet
end we find the short waves. and we
have demonstrated that 1t IL the short
rays at the violet end that act on the
delicate silver salts, while vegetation
responds most to the yellow and red
sections. The red end IL known ~
the heat. or .thermic, rays. and the
violet end 10 the chemical. or actinic.
rays.
The green color of the plant, chlor-
ophyl, bears some direct relation to
the plants ability to absorb the wave
length needed to break mp the car
bonic acid Of the air and convert It
into sugar, starch and gums. Excluded
from light. plants lQse their color BY
reason os.the fact that this chlorophyl
becomes submerged into. the proto-
plasm from which Il came and from
which It 10 again developed BY exposure
to light and heat tbs seems to in
dicate that vegetation normally grow
Ing under sunlight might reasonably
be expected to show variations II de-
prived OF any part Of the light. and
Flammarion and others have demon
strated this to be . fact
Lettuce grown under similar condi-
lions of soil, position and humidity
showed considerable difference In the
matter of growth under different col
ored lights. That grown under red
glass developed four times ~ quickly
- that grown under ordinary sun
light. shooting up like bean stalks.
Under green glass the result was not
% striking. yet the lettuce was taller
than that produced In sunlight. while
that grown under the blue light was
very insignificant. Other plants sub
jected to this process gave various 70
suits. Indian corn under white glass.
measured Is inches, under red glass.
Is inches. under green glass, eight
inches and under blue glass, six inches.
Beans nourished under white md red
glass. but persisted under green and
blue glass.
All nitrogen compounds are noted
for their instability, some exploding ON
exposure to light or on q very eight
shake. Nitrogen IL the basis Of all
modern explosives and the foundation
Of photography. Nitrogen II the basis
Of protoplasm: hence. We might ex-
pect protoplasm to be seriously dis
turbed and modified by vibrations
which cause 1t to move at q rate faster
than that to which 1t IL adjusted; and
this Is precisely what happens when
single cells are exposed to the action
Of the short rays. and this IL why vio-
let light, radium emanations and the
TX" rays are fatal to bacteria. The
protoplasm Of our nerve cells is 90
very complex and unstable that It will
not function except at the rate of
vibration between SO and 100 degrees
Fahrenheit. though temperature Of
105 degrees may require some days
to break up the molecule.
Animal life Is possible only between
the red and violet range Of the spec
trum because the tissues are developed
and tuned In this scale and exist be-
cause they are links In the universal
chain. Just ~ plants excluded from
light lose their color, SO man deprived
Of free access to color in food and
surroundings will develop the well
known prison pallor."
There 10 no room for chance IN
nature and al that IL needed ID care
fully to unravel the correspondence
which must exist between all depart
ments of the universe In order to ex.
pose the source Of our physical ills
and make 1t very clear that natures
unrestricted growth never results in
discord.
>>~>>>>
vines are grown all over most laree