The Washington times., 1923-01-05
SEEKS
CARBON FROM
SUNSHINE
Hopes to Save World by Sow
ing Secrets Of Plant
Life.
By JOHN A. MOROSO.
Copyright. 1923. by Cosmopolitan
News Sarvica.l

NEW YORK, Jan. Sin the
Mount Carmel laboratory of the
Carnegie Institution Of Washington
scientists today are. starting their
thirteenth year of effort to save
the world from comparatively
early death or at least, to save
civilization from lapse into the
days of horse and ox-drawn We
hicles, with the peoples Of the earth
seeking the tropics for warmth.
The secret lies hidden in any
ordinary green leaf which. with the
help Of the sunshine, extracts car
bon from the air. Without carbon
there would be no life. Vegetation
by complex reactions in the sun
light takes what it needs from the.
air. Animals eat the vegetation In
turn and survive. All, or nearly
all, sources Of power are derived
from it. for the oil and coal we
fossilized plant life.
Scientists Urged to Aid.
For twelve years. DIR. Herman
A. Spoehr, and his fellow savants
have been making experiments In
the California laboratory with plants
subjected to various temperatures
and to various wave lengths and
degrees Of intensity Of light. So
important has become the problem
of unseating this mystery that lies
between the kiss Of the sun and
the leaf that "a hurry call has been
sent out to scientists in every part
of the land to lend their aid.
We are rapidly nearing the time
of utter exhaustion Of coal and oil
and forest reserves. To get both
food and fuel sufficient to save
civilization from debacle, method
must be found of extracting. carbon
from the air. The weeds we tear
out by the roots and cast aside
know the secret, the roses you,
send one you love could tell It
and save the world, and 30, too,
the little plants in the windows.
Patient in Research.
Practically no advance has been
made in the past twelve years. But
scientists are men of patience, con-
tent with their tasks. asking and
often getting little Of the surface
pleasures Of life, little Of fame. little
| Of understanding, and little OF praise.
An occasional Edison or SteinmetZ Is
the exception which makes the rules.
All that is known is that, by q
series Of complex reactions OF plant
life to the SUMS rays that the life
giving carbon is captured. It y this
capacity to supply itself directly
from air and sunshine that gives
vegetation such an avidity for life.
Just back OF my cottage are spread
/ many acres that only a short time
ago were covered with the buildings
or great army camp whose roads
and byways were OF concrete. Be-
fore the camp was built it was
gently rolling country of pasture and
woodland. Plow, dynamite, and the
torch cleared it. Even field mice,
weasels, and snakes deserted it.
Weeds Split Stones.
Last fall the buildings were gone
to the wreckers and once again
vegetation had taken possession. In
Wondering foundations strong weeds
were prying apart the stones and
in crevices OF concrete little green
giants Of strength were making
l "AACE the SdpSD LdhIuB their I'LL or
carbon and sunshine.
At first thought zone might saw
that it was imagination gone riot
to suggest that had we humans but
this magic quality Of the plants we
might feast our fill of life and
strength by merely lying in the
sun, but recall reading in "The
Life Of The Spider" by the famous
cid naturalist, Fabre, his account
of tribe of the Arachnida, which
fed its young on sunshine alone for
weeks and weeks.
Gain Strength From Sun.
The myriads Of little fellows would
crawl up on mothers back, some al.
ways being crowded over only to
fight their way upward again, and
as long as the sun would shine they
| would absorb it. the old lady remain
ing perfectly quiet. Not a single
bite to eat did the youngsters get
until they had found their legs and
were ready for the fray Of life. They
/ grew thus, always less than stand
ing room on mammals back, perhaps
the weakest perishing, that the
strongest might inherit the earth.
/ / paraphrase what the old scholar
said: Now, wouldn't 1t be delight
full to invite your friends over any
sunny day and sit with them in the
garden having our lunch, without
/ a dish or q mOrsel Inst slIhshina