Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-06-18
BACKGROUND OF EVENTS
BY PAUL y. COLLINS.

high civilization of ancient Egypt and
the greatness Of Babylon, in arid
regions.
As science advances in knowledge
better methods than dependence on
the floating fertility brought by irri-
cation waters are utilized by modern
agriculturistS. Until the present gen.
Grafton of scientific farmers it was
taught that, as Liebig expressed it,
"a farmer may sell and permanently
ALLEVIATE all that portion Of the produce
of his farm which has been supplied
by the atmospheric field from which
something is permanently taken away
cannot possibly increase or even con-
tinue equal in productive power"
Modern scientists correct that state
ment and say:
"When we contemplate the science
of agriculture, we are forced to de-
fine an agriculturist as an organic
chemical manufacturer"
AS well say to q manufacturer Of
any chemical product that he must
close down as soon as he uses up the
raw material then in his storehouse,
as to say the same to a farmer who
| now is learning how to call upon the
supplies in the whole atmospheric stor-
age of the world. Nautilus may de-
spair of feeding the population of the
future only if he forgets the mex
haustible storage of heterogeneous fer
| tility in the sky and earth, and that
what fertility in vegetable growth
| in foods consumed eventually finds
| it's way back into the air on it's end
| less round Of nature.
| X X X X
| 1t is estimated trat the entire popu-
lation of the world, chemically con-
| sidered, is made up counted in mil
lions of tons) of carbon. 10; nitrogen,
2; phosphorus. is, and potassium, .260
| about a quarter Of million tons Of
potassium.
| Animals contain of the same ele.
ments 81 millions of tons of carbon,
| 3 of nitrogen, 6 of phosphorus and
two thirds of a million tons Of potas-
SUM.
Compare the above small require
| ments to maintain human and animal
life with the whole supply as follows:
The presence of carbon in the at
| mosphere is estimated at 600,000,-
100000 tons. in the soil at 100000
100000 tons, in forests at 100000
100000 tons, in peat at $4,000, 000, 000,-
900 and in coal at $500, 100000 900
tons. In our sedimentary rocks, not
included as "soil' above, there exists
10000 times as much carbon as is in
the atmosphere. Soil derived from
sedimentary limestone deposits is the
most fertile.
The atmosphere contains an in
calculable amount of nitrogen. Nitro
gen is also in soils 10000, 100000 tons.
in forests 592,000,000 tons, in peat,
3,620.000,000 tons, in coal 98,00O,0OO,-
600 tons.
Our mundane storehouse therefore
differs from Mother Hubbards cup
board, Notwithstanding Nautilus and
other pessimists. Our problem is not
quantity of raw material for MAIN
tenance of animal life, but how to.
bring the elements together In avail
able combination.
DR.. A. w. Woods, in charge of SET,
entific Investigations of the United
States Department of Agriculture,
states that the products of the vart-
Gus projects of research in the de-
| partment are paying an annual divf-.
dend of 1000 pc" cent on the cost
of the Investigations. ;
A few examples must show the rea-
sonableness of that claim. The in
vestigations of how to extract syn-
thetic ammonia from the air (begUm
in 1920, mainly at Muscle Shoals,s
cost an average of $4,000 a year."
and the discovery of catalysts Tor
that process has had the effect of
reducing the market price of am
mopia on the 10000 tons a year which
we use to a saving Of $5,120,000 a
year.
Soil survey, begun in 1899, has now
covered 00,00O,000 acres in 1,100
separate areas. The fact-finding COM
mittee appointed by the President in
1923 reported that had the several
reclamation projects which had to be
abandoned, been preceded by a soil
survey. it would not have been neces-
sary to mark off a loss of S27,000,000
on failures. The survey service cost
$500, 1000 a year, and once done is of
permanent record.
The saving of nitrogen from fish
waste and tankage costs for investiga-
ton of methods, $500 a year, and
saves 100000 annually.
Until the war, we were dependent
on imported potash; now we produce
10 per cent of the quantity we use,
and also have left valuable by-prod-
ucts. If all that we need were pro-
duced at home we would be retaining
in America the $4,000, 900 which now
goes mostly to Germany. Abundant
raw material exists here for all the
potash we need, and the by-products
include iron oxide, aluminium, light
alloys, abrasives, etc.
Phosphate investigation costs $4,000
a year: it has already developed a new
process which Is in practical use by
several manufacturers, producing con.
centrated fertilizer of four times the
efficiency of the old style, so that the
saving on freight alone amounts to
the difference between $10260. 900 and
the new freight cost of $2,635, 900
annually-$7, 425 900 a year.
The annual cost of all scientific
Investigations amounts to a total OF
S146.94S and produces a proved saw