Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-04-12

Distilled water is passed in continuously at
the bottom of the coil by means of a motor
driven hydraulic force pump working at
5000 pound pressure, the eva poration on
the trials being about 5000 pounds per
hour, although 10000 pounds is the normal
figure and is easily obtained. The installa-
ton is heated from the bottom by means
of an oil blast flame with heated air. Pull
verified fuel or gas would do equally well.
THE water it travels upwards through
the coil is gradually raised to higher and
higher temperature, until when 80 per cent
of the total length has been traversed the
critical temperature of steam, 706 degrees
Fahrenheit, is attained, the pressure being,
Of course, all the time 5000 pounds. At
this point the whole mass of the water in
the COIL three times the volume when at 60
degrees is bodily and quietly converted into
steam at the same volume without the abb
sorption of latest heat and without boiling
For the remainder of the travel In the
coil the steam is then very slightly super
heated to 720 degrees and subsequently
passed through a reducing valve, during
which the temperature is lowered to $40
degrees and into the superheater, being
finally discharged from the latter at 1,5OO
pounds pressure, and $50 degrees Fahren-
heit. 1t will then be used in small high
pressure turbine, running at 10000 to 25,-
600 revolutions per minute, eXhausting at
200 pounds, generating $50 kilowatts In the
process, into an ordinary condensing turbine,
giving a further 900 kilowatts down to
29-inch vacuum.
"The enormous economy to be obtained by
working at 1900 pounds and $50 degrees
will be apparent. Further details will be
awaited with interest as the work unques-
tionahly represents a complete revolution In
steam practice"
A PARADOX
Lack of necessary plant food in the soil
is necessary to produce big crops The same
processes which exhaust the land lead to
bumper yields. These apparently paradox
cal conclusions have been reached by Prof.
w. F. Gericks of the Division of Plant Nu-
triton of the University of California from
experiments which will be described in the
next issue of Science"
During the most active period of their
growth many plants take some of the neces-
sary foods out of the soil faster than these
foods are returned to the soil. Professor
Gericke arranged his experiments in order
to determine whether this temporary deple-
ton of itself increased the crop-producing
power of the soil.
A large number of wheat seedlings were
started in a solution containing potassium,
calcium, magnesium, iron, sulphur, nitrogen,
and phosphorus, all the seven elements re-
CURED by plants and supplied by the soil.
Seven other solutions, each lacking one of
the required elements were also prepared.
Wheat plants were set in each of these
partially complete solutions.
At intervals of month, some of the
plants from the solution containing all the
food elements were transferred to each of
the partially complete solutions, Changes
were made with different sets at four diff
ferent periods of growth Other plants were
grown in the different solutions but were
not changed.
Professor Gericke found that the plants
which grew one month in the complete solu-
ton and were then put in the solution lack
ing potassium were, after six weeks, more
vigorous, more mature, and twice as big as
those which were kept in the complete solu-
ton. Very little growth was made by plants
started in the solution lacking potassium.
These results are in accord with what &C
tually happens in soils growing field crops,
Professor Gericke says that while the re-
moval of salt elements from the soil is
process which leads to infertility, that is,
if the rate of removal exceeds that of re-
punishment over a long enough period of
time, such removal also plays beneficial
role in crop production. This temporary
depletion of certain available food elements
in the soil by plants is of natures most
important conditions essential TO large crop
production, he says.