Evening star., 1940-04-23
Of Stors, Men
And Atoms
Notebook Of Science Progress
In Field, Laboratory
And Study
By Thomas r. Henry.

And Study
By Thomas r. Henry.
Growing iron, copper and other ele-
ments In plants is the objective of a
large-scale project just launched by the
United States Department of Agricul-
ture.
A cooperative laboratory is being set
up at Cornell University, it is announced
by DR.. E. G. Auchter, chief OF the Bureau
Of Plant Industry, where plant breeders,
animal psychologists, soil experts, bot
anists and medical men will work to-
gether to this end.
They will study first how different
food plants take up minerals from the
soil. Then efforts will be made to breed
plants which will do this more efficiently.
At the same time intensive tests are
planned on the effects of minute quanti-
ties of certain elements in animal and
human diet.
In the past the Bureau of Plant In
dustry has combed the world to secure
agricultural plants with better yields,
resistance to disease and flavors. It also
has conducted extensive breeding ex-
periments. Now 1t will turn to the
nutritional values, some of which are
very obscure and have only been recog-
nized in the past few years.
There has recently been found, DR..
Auchter said, a severe anemia among
farm children in certain areas of the
South. This was thought at first to
be due to hookworms. Investigation
showed that these parasites were practi-
cally absent, but that the children were
living almost entirely on home grown
food in region where the soil was
deficient in iron. From so to So per
cent of the children in some Florida
areas were found suffering from this
condition, and in the same regions was
found peculiar ailment among the
cattle known as salt sickness" which
has been traced to the same cause.
Ihls Is only a striking example, DR..
Auchter pointed out, of nutritional all
ments due to lack of elements-of some
OF which only extremely small amounts
are needed in the human diet-which
may exist in other parts of the country.
said DR.. Auchter: Information re-
garding the soils of the country with
particular reference to their origin and
chemical and physical composition,
amenability to various treatments, and
effectiveness in producing plants, is
available to some extent. Now, how
ever. one OF the great needs appears
TO be that Of making more comprehen-
sive studies and complete analyses of
agricultural soil types, and the crops
that grow upon them under known
conditions of climate, fertilization, ir-
rigation and stage of maturity.
Such information would enable us to
determine If deficiencies or excesses of
certain elements occur in such soils and
plants and, il so, to correct the condi-
tons with the ultimate view of i'm
proving the health of human beings. An
attempt will be made to correlate the
composition and nutritional value of
foods with soil type, climatic condition
and the practices followed in produc-
ton.
Special attention will be given to
the physiological effects of the so-called
rare, or trace, elements. Little is known
In detail of the functions of most of
these. We plan studies of the periodicity
OF the intake or distribution of the ele-
ments within the plant or in the differ
ences among species in their need for
mineral elements and their ability to
accumulate them The effects of chem
ical additions to the soil upon the COM
position of the plant at various stages
of growth will be made.
Eventually 1t should be possible to
test the effects of plants of known COM
position upon human beings. 1t may be
found desirable to conduct breeding in
vestigatlors to develop special varieties
OF plants in relation to their nutritional
value. The problems will require con-
siderable time and funds for their solu-
ton, but their great Importance to
American life demands that they be
made. 1t is impossible to predict the
potential value to the health of the
American people and the national econ
omy. But we do know that raising the
level of health of the population is i'm
portant in all phases of our national
life"
Physicians have shown clearly during
the past few years, DR.. Auchter said. the
immense possibilities of building up a
more robust citizenship in the United
States through improvements in the
diet which often consist of minute GUAM
titles of substances unheard of a few
years ago. AS a practical measure, most
of these things must be supplied in the
food ordinarily eaten, such as the COM
mon vegetables, fruits and meats. At the
same time, he said, surveys have shown
that large numbers of Americans still
are poorly nourished, even though the
quantity of food they eat may be suffl-
cient. There is also evidence that in
clusion of some elements in the diet
may act as a barrier to certain infecti-
Gus diseases. Even old age may be post
poned by getting the proper elements.
Opposes Increasing Pay