Evening star., 1926-09-10
FOOD FROM SKY
BEING PRODUCED
BY DREW PEARSON.

Reindeer meat and food manufac-
tured from the air will supply the
future food of the world, preventing
the inevitable" famine which Sir
Daniel Hall, eminent British scientist,
has Just predicted. This Is the be-
lief of several Government scientists
who have long studied the possibility
of a Worldwide food shortage and al
ready have taken steps to prevent It.
One Of these steps is the develop
ment of the reindeer-caribou meat IN
dustry in the Arctic, which some DAY
may become the chief source OF meat
for the entire world. Alaskan slaugh-
ter houses and refrigerating plants
already have been established In CO.
operation with the Department OF Ag-
riculture, which states that the rein
deer industry of Alaska may even
-tually yield more profit than all the
gold, copper and other minerals in the
territory. Around the entire rim or
the Arctic sea runs great belt or
tundra which in the Summer blooms
with luxuriant vegetation quite ca
pable of supporting millions of rein
deer and caribou.
Chemists Making Food.
Another step which the United
States Government has taken to pre-
vent a food faminine is to experiment
in the manufacture of foods by syn
thetic chemistry. Already chemists
have been able to produce sugar and
starch from certain elements which
they have taken from the air. accord
ing to Henry D. Hubbard, secretary
of the Bureau of Standards. This bu-
reau has also perfected a process by
which sugar can be made from the
common artichoke, which will grow
almost anywhere.
Experiments in the Bureau Of
Standards and in other chemical labo-
ratories have led Mr.. Hubbard to
prophesy that food shortage and crop
failures will be made impossible in
the future by conducting farming in
factories, with every inch of soil sifted
and tested, the air strained free of
the insects which cause damage, and
the temperature kept at the most IA
Vorable point. Even the length of the
shining day will be regulated on the
farm-factories of the future, accord
ing to Mr.. Hubbard, who says that
certain forms of lights already have
been perfected which stimulate plant
growth.
Can Laugh at DrOughts.
There will be no frosts or droughts
in the factories, the crops be-
ing grown almost automatically.
Automatic machinery will plant. cul-
tivate and harvest them. Chemists
have produced both starch and sugar
directly from the air." Mr.. Hubbard
continues, "by the synthesis of moist
ure, carbon dioXide and ultra violet
lights of suitable wave lepgth. When
the factory and farm have become
one, pOWer-driVen continuous StarcheS
and sugars may pour forth from the
factory to feed the world. Man has
solved the nitrate problem. Can he
not assure the food supply of the
world by placing it among staple
factory products, freed from the vicis-
situdes which beset the outdoor
farmer"
The reindeer industry in Alaska,
which is already supplying meat to
Seattle and other large cities, had it's
inception in a rather interesting man
ner. The Bureau of Education of the
Department of the Interior is charged
with the care of the Eskimos of
Alaska, and i'll 1891 DIR. Sheldon
jackson brought 10 reindeer from
Siberia for the purpose of giving the
Eskimos draft animals. These 10,
with a few more which were brought
over the following year, now have
populated Alaska with nearly half q
million reindeer.
AT first the animals remained chief
ly in the hands of the EskimoS, but
now one-fourth or more of them are
one large meat company owns $4,000
head. At present the Biological Sur
vey, which is directly in charge of
promoting the reindeer industry, is
chiefly concerned with crossing rein
deer with caribou in order to improve
the yield of meat. The caribou is
considerably larger than the reindeer
and when crossed yields about 800
pounds Of meat. as compared to $50
from the reindeer.
Experimenting With Caribou.
An experiment in mixing the two
the Island of Nunivak, off the coast
of Alaska. Ten young caribou bulls
were brought about 700 miles down
the Yukon by barge and on the bu-
reauS schooner Hazel and turned
loose on the island among about 400
female reindeer. All the reindeer
bulls were eliminated from the herd,
SO that the bureau will be able to
observe the specific advantages of
crossing the two breeds. Two years
will be required before the results
can be studied.
Meanwhile. Lawrence J. Palmer Of
the Biological Survey remains con-
stantly in the field studying the for
age available for reindeer herds
Throughout the wide belt of the
Arctic tundra he reports a growth
of luXuriant mosses and other vege-
tation furnishing ample forage. This
climate, contrary to popular belief,
is extremely hot in Midsummer,
producing q dense quick growth of
vetegtation. During the Winter it
Is covered by snow, but is not linn
tied to Alaska, except so far as the
United States is concerned. The
belt of tundra extends around the
entire Arctic Circle, rich in vegeta-
ton during few months of the year,
but uninhabited and useless except
for the production of meat. This
great belt of unused land, it is be-
lieved, will be pressed into use to
furnish the meat of the world in the
not distant future.
Copyright. i926.)