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THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
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(April 2, 1906. subjects, and their observations seemed to show that the separation of the nitrogen in the form of nitric oxide was brought about by the heat rather than by the electric effect of the spark.
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Such is
Now it so happened that Professor Binke-. LAND in his researches on the aurora was led to experiment on the flattening of the kathode rays in a magnetic field, and thereby got the first inkling of the possi- bility of flattening out the flame of an are in discharge, and thereby succeeded establisuing in an electric furnace a com- plete flame dise; the air passing through is thus broken up, and the nitric oxide resulting is led into an oxidation chaurber where it is still further oxidised, and neutralised with lime, the calcium nitrate resulting being evaporated and fused and afterwards run into iron `cases. merely the veriest outline of a process which points to being in the near future of enormous economic import- ance. Of course its eventual economic success depends on the production of the necessary power at a sufficiently cheap rate. It could not be accomplished, for instance, in England where the cost of fuel would at once destroy its economic feasibility; but enormous source of in Norway where an power latent in the numerous mountain streams and cascades of the country still remains disposable, it has apparently been found possible to turn out the calcium nitrate at prices that enable it to compete on equal terms with nitrates imported from Chili. As a manure the calcium nitrate has been found almost if not quite as effective, and there seems a good prospect of its pro- duction becoming a great industry, and one besides not subject to the risks of the Chilian product.
OUR FUTURE WHEAT SUPPLY, I, lavish hand of nature has attracted the industrial clement, and where less than fifty (Daily Press, 24th March.)
years ago was only to be seen the plough of What is the use of Arctic or Antarctic the farmer proparing the land for the sowing exploration ? is a question that has many of his wheat, are now to be noticed large times been asked in recent times. Much cities and busy lives of industry, the feeding the same question was asked when our of which retains in the land the greater part HENEY I. acquired the then rare accomplish- of the agricultural products. In less but ment of being able not only to read, but continually increasing ratio is the great even to write. What is the use, said our wheat-growing North-West of Canada begin-, Englishry of the day, in our sovereignning to be occupied. Through a false system being such a scholar? If he have only of cultivation increased by the continual learned to govern his Kingdom aright, that demands of a bankrupt government the is surely all we need; so in derision they wheat crops of Russia are gradually but gave him the nick-name of BEAUCLERC. surely dwindling in both quantity and quality, But HENRY's learning was the first step and similar agencies, though in a much less towards the introduction of regular law, and pressing form, are already at work in South the establishment of a justiciary, and on
America. Even when we have said so much the foundation so laid has grown up the we have not told all. These wheat growing present Common Law of England, and the countries which at present raise that staple freedom which in a higher degree than their for large portions of the industrial world neighbours the people still enjoy. Doubt. were still within the last three-quarters of n less the exploration of the regions arouud century covered with virgin soil; now wheat the poles has not resulted in the founda- is the most exhausting of all crops, and in a tion of any colonies, nor the discovery of few years by depriving the soil of its any unexpected treasure; and yet by nitrogen stored up during long ages of encouraging that talent for adventure which inaction, renders that soil actually incapable has ever been innate in the English. race, of yielding any more whent. But two and by holding up to the people at home remedies are possible; one is to restore the as examples to follow the heroic men who land periodically to a state of nature and did not hesitate for the instruction of their permit it to recuperate; the second is to fellows to undergo the privations and real apply artifical nitrates in such a form as can dangers of Arctic exploration, in an impor be readily assimilated. The first is a slow tant even if secondary sense, those explor. process and implies the practical withdrawal ations and adventures have far more than for terms of years from the world's available repaid their cost to the nation. We need sources of supply of huge areas from the only mention in connection with our topic already restricted districts available. In such names as PARRY and Ross, and in the second a huge danger stares us in later times MCCLINTOCK and MACLURE, the face. In the old days the pasture not to mention the later MARKHAM, to lands came to the rescue of the agricul- indicate the effect on the personal of the turist, and the stock on the farm yielded navy of these adventurous expeditions which the necessary supplies of nitrogen to may be said to have kept alive its spirit revivify the exhausted land, but with the during the long period of inactive peace that growth of enormous urban populations this followed the great battle of Trafalgar. source is gradually drying up, and for
Of late years when other nations have supplying the deficiency the world has come (Daily Press, 26th March.)
What we said on Saturday ns to the entered the arena we notice the same effect. to rely more and more on mineral nitrates. Amongst the most strenuous and perse- Guano which in the last century supplied calculated shortage of wheat in the not vering of these has been the comparatively the want has practically been exhausted, distant future is a not altogether enlivening small state of Norway, and undoubtedly and the great nitrate beds of Chili have prospect for humanity. Certain French in the prowess shown by explorers such come to be our main dependence. But philosophers have recently been prophesying as NORDENSKIOLD aud NANSEN the
even Chili nitrates are not inexhaustible, that bumanity in the future ages of the country has learnt a lesson of which she has and now it has become only too apparent world will have to become a vegetable eater, not been slow to avail herself, and the that the supplies from this quarter will not but as that is not likely to happen for result is shown in the revival of the ancient be available, even for the duration of the many hundreds of years hence, the present sirit of the Vikings and the enormous next generation. Experts indeed limit dwellers on the face of the earth need hardly growth of the Norwegian mercantile navy. their continuance to so short a period na trouble themselves over the prediction. In 1899 Professor KRISTIAN BIRKELAND from twenty to fifty years, the latter being The probable shortage of wheat which is was sent to Spitzbergen to study the electric the outside. Under the circumstances the likely to occur within the next generation phenomena connected with the auroras of nitrate question has for the last few years is one to which the statesman cannot afford that northern land. No more useless under- become, may almost be said, one of the to shut his eyes, and as the first rumblings, taking, judging from past experience, could most absorbing problems of civilisation. It of the storm are already upon us it is well have possibly occupied the attention of a has long been known that oue family of for those to whom will be entrusted the nation. The exploration of the aurora plants possesses owing to the presence of a steerage of state to ponder on the new con- doubtless brought little direct good, but it much despised microbe the power of assimi-ditions which must prevail before the ceu- taught Professor BIRKELAND a practical ating the nitrogen of the air; and io tury has attained its majority. The nine- lesson, for the investigation of the aurora the enormous export of bean cake and teenth century, it is hardly necessary to... brought him to study the action of electri-bean oil from Manchuria to Japan and repeat, has been unique in the history of city under low pressures and the various
the world. It is only within the last few phenomena of the kathode rays.
years that we are beginning to realise how advanced was the old civilisation of "gypt and the Mesopotamian plains: partly that civilisation wore itself out; partly it was destroyed under the encroachments of peoples in a lower stage of culture. In any case it comprised but a limited portion of the earth's surface. In many respects it differed markedly from that of modern times: not only was it confined within nar- row limits superficially, but it depended. practically entirely on the products of the surface; and in a great measure died out naturally when the productiveness of the land began to diminish. One of the great mainsprings of the modern civilisation has been that in an even greater proportion it has been dependent on the subterranian
One of the most pressing problems of the future is the task of feeding Europe. In many portions of Europe, and more especially in England where the greater portion of the population is engaged in industries or directly dependent on those who are, the country is not able to produce wheat in sufficient quantities to support its present population, and has been for many years directly dependent on the import of wheat from abroad. Wheat is undoubtedly neces- sary for the physical and mental economy of the northern peoples, and hitherto it has been mainly supplied from the Western States of the Union whose produce was practically inexhaustible. But even in the rich agricultural prairies of the West the
the southern ports of China, we see an instance of the practical utility of the despised organism. But the world does not possess a sufficient area of bean producing soil to meet the wants of the case, and Manchuria is the only country where the industry has taken root to an appreciable extent. It is true that more than a century ago an English philosopher showed that by electric sparking through air nitrogen could be abstracted, in however infiditesima! quantities; even the small amount of nitric acid produced at en rous expense by one discharge was upt to be inediately decom posed by the succeeding except for laboratory experiments the process afforded no hope of success. But chemists in England and the United States have been applying themselves assiduously to these
OUR FUTURE WHEAT SUPPLY,II.
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