The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1915-07-30
GERMANY GETS NEW
FEED OUT OF THE AIR
Supply for Farm Stock Obtained by
Passing Atmospheric Current
Through Sugar Beets.

Through Sugar Beets.
Berlin, Germany Whenever Ger
many finds the embargo on her inn
Iports pinches her comfort her scien-
lists reach out into the air and do
their importing from the atmosphere.
Thus, when the embargo on the
importation of Chilean saltpeter
Threatened shortage of nitrates for
the gunpowder industry the "mobo-
liked scientists of the empire
promptly worked out way by which
the necessary nitrates could be pro-
duced from the nitrogen of the at
mosphere by means of electricity.
Two plants now produce more than
twice the amount needed for Ger
many's great consumption of explo-
sives, and the remainder is used for
fertilizer.
Now another such invention has
been made public One Of the results
of the efforts of the allies to starve
pGermany has been to cut off her
large imports Of heterogeneous food for
her farm animals. Germany has
plenty of forage, but the supply Of
oats, barley and other grains has al
ways been dependent on Russia and
even America.
Has Been Problem for Monts
/ For months the feeding of horses
and cattle has been an important
problem. Swine, too, have been
slaughtered in large numbers to
make Germany's supply of grain go
as far as possible.
But the scientists have discovered
q method of getting the necessary nj
ltrogenous foods out Of the atmos-
lphere. Before the war, few dreamed
that such gold mines existed in the
air
Sugar, of which Germany has a
lsuperabundance in the form of sugar
lbeets, is the basis for the new food.
The sugar is mixed with ammoniac,
line and magnesium salts. To this is
added yeast-just such as mother
puts into her cakes-and the whole is
exposed to strong current of air.
The yeast cells begin to work at once
and convert the compound into a
product that is SO per cent pure albu-
men. With all the needed raw ma
Iterials, including the air, Germany is
well supplied. The product, It is as
serted, is an exec rent substitute for
oil cake, barley and other rich and
rarer cattle foods. 1t is said to be
especially valuable for horses.
Work Of Berlin Institute
The discovery is announced as the
result Of the work done by the Berlin
Institute of Fermentation.
THE whole institute contributes to
this great achievement" said DR.. M.
Delbrueck, its president, in making
1t public. 1T will make us independ-
ent Of foreign nations as far as cattle
foodstuffs are concerned"
1t is asserted that out OF 100
pounds Of sugar 100 pounds of new
products can be obtained, of which
SO pounds will represent pure albu-
men.
Go ON Three Meals Day
In the meantime Germany seems
to be going on three meal a day
basis, about two meals fewer than
formerly. In connection with the
wild stories that still seem to be in
circulation about starvation" in Ger
many, the following extract from an
article written for the Berlin press by
DIR. p. Meissner, famous German
writer on physiological subjects
should be interesting. He writes
Experience and scientific research
have demonstrated that even work.
ing man can easily get along with
only three meals day. These may
consist of either breakfast, dinner
and supper or-and this is the better
arrangementof breakfast, luncheon
and an evening dinner. Objection
VIII be made that such reduction in
the daily meals cannot be made by
working men who do muscular work
throughout the day. This objection
has no foundation If the individual
meals are properly arranged. Break
fast must be nourishing and plentiful,
and SO should the dinner be, although
the supper may be of smaller propor-
tons II, instead, the dinner is eaten
in the second half of the day, the
luncheon may be light one and full
fill all demands.
Instead Of three meals a day our
working classes have been accustom-
ed to eat five meals day, and some
times six. This is far too much and
serves no real purpose. Chicago
Daily News, May Is, 1915