dedicated to Herbert Clark Hoover in the hope that it may aid his fellow citizens to support him. HARRY SNYDER

THE BOTANY AND PLANT PRODUCTS OF NORTHERN SOUTH AMERICA A COOPERATIVE investigation of the flora of northern South America, which, when carried out in detail, should be of highly significant scientific and economic importance, has recently been organized by the New York Botanical Garden, the United States National Museum, and the Gray Herbarium of Harvard University. This investigation is planned to include the plants inhabiting the Guianas, Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, and the adjacent Caribbean islands, Trinidad, Tobago, Margarita, Bonaire, Curaçao and Aruba.

The immediate object is to secure and organize collections of size and excellence from as many different floral areas as may be found feasible; to assemble all knowledge obtainable relative to the distribution of the species, their habitats, and their uses; and thus to acquire in North America, materials for critical investigations leading to much needed monographs of important groups and to detailed catalogues of floras as yet very inadequately known.

The region contemplated has great diversity of climate, soil and altitude and a corresponding wealth of vegetation. Perhaps no area of greater botanical promise has thus far received less organized floral investigation. Nor have the scattered results obtained in the past ever been brought together into correlated or accessible form, being at present scattered in fragmentary publications, foreign journals and casual works of travel, with the result that information even in regard to many plants of considerable economic promise is excessively difficult to assemble and surprisingly scanty when obtained.

In this rich and varied flora of northern South America is sure to be found a wealth of plants capable of yielding commercial timbers, drugs, vegetable oils, tannin, gums, waxes and essences of technical value, dye-stuffs,

such as rubber, highly significant in manufactures. Many of these products are reaching our markets in mixed or imperfect condition owing to inadequate knowledge of the precise plants from which they should be obtained. In other instances, although the species may be known, the range and availability is still too obscure to encourage enterprises of exploitation.

Recent events have shown how suddenly and unexpectedly America may be cut off from many European sources of manufacture and information. It is increasingly evident that all the American countries should gain the manufacturing and commercial independence which may be derived from a thorough scientific investigation of their natural resources. Among these the tropical American vegetation is one of the most significant and merits much more earnest investigation than it has thus far received.

It is confidently believed that the proposed studies will do much to extend the knowledge of South American products, and thus to increase trade and conduce to friendly relations with the countries concerned.

In the realm of pure science the results obtained will also have very important bearings. on the studies of Central American vegetation already prosecuted by the National Museum and by the Gray Herbarium, and on those of the West Indian flora conducted by the New York Botanical Garden.

The scientists in charge of the botanical collections of the three cooperating institutions and other botanists and economists have long known the need for organized information relative to the vegetation of northern South America; these collections already contain specimens derived from various sources in the past, representing a considerable proportion of the plants inhabiting the region, and of their products, but much of this material has not been critically studied nor determined botanically. Old World museums and herbaria contain a more complete and better studied representation than American institutions possess. The extensive literature of the sub

man

portion of this amount to be assigned to women and to children of different ages. The following conclusions have been agreed on: (1) To state the weights of the various foods produced in each Allied country in metric tons. (2) It is not desirable to fix a minimal meat ration in view of the fact that no absolute physiologic need exists for meat, since the proteins of meat can be replaced by proteins of animal origin, such as those contained in milk, cheese and eggs, as well as by proteins of vegetable origin. The commission, on the other hand, resolved to fix a desirable minimal ration of fat-75 gm. per average man per day. The ration will be made up of (a) fats of vegetable origin and (b) fats of animal origin. If the amount of fats of vegetable origin are insufficient for this purpose, it may be necessary to maintain a certain stock of animals to furnish this fat. (3) The commission established the " value," that is, the number of average men equivalent to the population of each of the Allied countries. This "man value" is taken as the basis for calculating the exact amount of food which must be provided for the adequate nourishment of the total population of each country. (4) The commission considered the estimates in tons of the home productions of the soil furnished by each Allied country for the year 1918-1919. These statistics will serve as a basis for determining the amount of food available for men and for animals, respectively, in each country. (5) Each delegation, in calculating the amount of calories available for men, should assign to men the maximal possible proportion of all cereals, excepts oats. (6) A uniform average milling extraction of 85 per cent. for wheat should be adopted throughout the Allied countries. This extraction may vary from 80 per cent. in summer to 90 per cent. in winter, and it can apply to the United States only as regards their internal consumption, and then only in case of scarcity. (7) The methods of reserving the maximal possible proportion of the cereal production for the use of man may vary in each country. Man should always take precedence over animals in the allocation of food. If this principle be accepted in the fixing of prices, it is

the prices of animal products which should be limited, rather than those of such vegetable products of the soil as may serve equally well for feeding men and animals. Thus the production of veal, pork and poultry at the expense of food available for man should be discouraged, and this is best achieved by fixing a price for those animal products which will make it unprofitable for the producer to feed them on cereals. (8) The commission reserved for its next meeting the task of examining the figures which will enable it to determine the caloric value of the home production of each of the Allied countries. The determination of this figure, compared with the needs in calories of the population of each country, will enable the commission to deduce the amount of imports necessary for the maintenance of the population or the exportable surplus, as the case may be. (9) In all the Allied countries, any propaganda, having for its object the encouragement of food production and of economy in the use of food, should be organized and directed by men of science well acquainted with the subject.

FOURTH NATIONAL EXPOSITION OF
CHEMICAL INDUSTRIES

THE Fourth National Exposition of Chemical Industries will be held in the Grand Central Palace, New York City, during the week of September 23 this year. The managers are Charles F. Roth and F. W. Payne. The advisory committee consists of Charles H. Herty, chairman, Raymond F. Bacon, L. H. Baekeland, Henry B. Faber, Ellwood Hendrick, Bernhard C. Hesse, A. D. Little, Wm. H. Nichols, H. C. Parmelee, R. P. Perry, G. W. Thompson, F. J. Tone, T. B. Wagner and M. C. Whitaker.

The Journal of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry says that the exposition is a wartime necessity and, regarding it as such, each exhibitor is planning his exhibit to be of the greatest benefit to the country through the men who visit it, all of whom are bent upon a serious purpose that of producing war materials in large quantities and constantly in

creasing this production until the war has been won by the United States and its Allies.

The managers report that the amount of floor space already engaged is greater than last year, that the exhibits will be much more attractive, and that a movement is under way to show all exhibits of machinery in operation under actual working conditions as they would be found in the plants.

Some sections of the south are again sending exhibits, and Canada is taking the opportunity of presenting the materials it has available for development by the chemist and financier. A section for the Glass and Ceramic Industry has been added with which the American Ceramic Society is cooperating.

The program for the Exposition is in active preparation. Opening addresses will be made by Dr. Charles H. Herty, chairman of the advisory committee, and Dr. G. W. Thompson, president of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers. There will be a series of symposiums on "The Development of Chemical Industries in the United States, notably since July, 1914." This will embrace the period since the beginning of the European War, which, by removing the source of supply for our domestic industries, inspired the development of our own chemical industries which, now that we ourselves have entered the war, are proving so effective. The subjects to be discussed are Potash Development, Chemical Engineering, Acids, Industrial Organic Chemistry, the Ceramic Industries and the Metal Industries Among the speakers will be:

C. A. Higgins, "Recovery of potash from kelp." Linn Bradley, "Recovery of potash from cement dust and other sources by electrical precipitation."

A. Hough, "Chemical engineering in explosives; T. N. T., T. N. A., picric acid and nitrobenzol.'' E. J. Pranke, "Development of nitric acid manufacture."'

8. P. Sadtler, "Development of industrial organic chemistry."

George H. Tomlinson, “Wood as a source of ethyl alcohol.'

C. A. Higgins, "Kelp as a source of organic solvents.''

Alcan Hirsch, "Pyrophoric alloys.''

Joseph W. Richards, "The ferro-alloys of silicon, tungsten, uranium, vanadium, molybenum, titanium.''

Theodore Swann, "Ferromanganese.'' Leonard Waldo, "The development of the magnesium industry."

The American Ceramic Society, which will hold its meeting at the Exposition on Thursday afternoon, September 26, has already upon its program:

A. V. Bleininger, "Recent developments in the ceramic industries.''

L. E. Barringer, "Manufacture of electrical porcelain" (illustrated).

H. Ries, "American clays."

F. A. Whitaker, "Manufacture of stoneware' (illustrated).

Following this meeting a series of motion pictures of the ceramic industries will be shown.

The motion picture program, in the arrangement of which the Bureau of Commercial Economics is again cooperating, carries forward the idea of the symposiums, the pictures appropriate to a subject being shown on the same day as the symposium on that subject is held.

NUTRITION OFFICERS STATIONED IN THE

CAMPS1

NUTRITION officers are to be stationed in every National Army cantonment and every National Guard camp, as well as in every camp where 10,000 or more soldiers are in training. These officers are food specialists who before they joined the army as members of the division of food and nutrition of the Medical Department were connected with colleges and public bodies as physiologists, chemists, economists, food inspectors and experts in other specialized work relating to food.

Since October of last year the division of food and nutrition has been making surveys of food conditions in the camps. Groups of officers have gone from camp to camp, studied the food served, how it was inspected, stored, and prepared, and have made recommenda

1 Statement from the office of the Surgeon General authorized by the War Department.

tions which, upon being carried out, resulted in many advantageous changes.

Although the principal work of these groups was inspection of the manner of handling and preparing food, the visiting officers were able to give considerable instruction in the principles of nutrition, the proper selection of foods, and the construction of dietaries to mess officers, medical officers and others who were interested. Detailed personal instruction was given to the mess personnel on some of these topics, as well as on the various methods of avoiding waste, the importance of keeping kitchens and mess halls clean and orderly, and the methods of judging and storing food. Survey parties were instructed to seek in every possible way to reduce waste. It was found that men and officers were very willing to cooperate in making surveys and to reduce as much as possible the waste of food. One of the most effective means adopted for this purpose was introduced at one camp and followed later at other camps.

At this camp seven companies were selected from various organizations, totaling 1,135 men. A two-day survey was run on each mess, and the average edible waste was found to be 1.12 pounds per man per day. Instructions were then given to the mess sergeants and cooks in matters of food and mess economy, and when the officer in charge was satisfied that they had a reasonable understanding of the subject a second two-day survey was made. This showed an average edible waste of 0.43 pound per man per day a saving of 0.69 pound. This saving amounted to $61.75 per day for the seven messes, or at the same rate would amount to $22,542 per year. If the same rate of saving were brought about for the entire camp, in this case approximately 15,000 men, it would amount to $338,000 a year.

Work of this character showed the necessity of keeping a nutrition officer in each camp at all times so that he might advise about the composition and nutritive value of dietaries, make inspections for adulterations, spoilage, and deterioration, and to cooperate with the mess officials.

Sixty new officers are to be commissioned in

the division of food and nutrition to handle the additional work. All will be food specialists similar to those already in the service.

GREETINGS TO FRANCE FROM BRITISH
SOCITIES

MESSAGES to France on the occasion of France's day have been dispatched by all the leading societies and institutions in Great Britain, including the following scientific societies:

British Association.-Nineteen years ago the Dover meeting of the British Association was "so arranged that the two great nations which had been, a century earlier, grappling in a fierce struggle should in the persons of their men of science draw as near together as they could." Another joint meeting with France was on the point of taking place when our high hopes of lasting general peace were so cruelly destroyed. But out of the destruction has arisen a far closer union of our two peoples, and an even brighter prospect of our future cooperation for the good of humanity and science.

Royal Society.-The Royal Society of London sends greetings to the French nation and more especially to its scientific men. It recalls the intimate friendship which since their foundation has bound together the Académie des Sciences with its own body. Always united in their endeavor to promote the advance of science, they are now joined in their efforts to defend the cause of civilization and freedom.

British Academy.-To France, who has so often inspired and led civilization in Europe; to France, who upholds the banner of intellectual freedom and unfettered thought; to France, who for nearly four years has endured brutal outrage and the violation of all decencies of humanity and civilization, the British Academy, in the name of British scholarship, sends on this great anniversary a renewed assurance of loyal fraternity and of unshaken determination to continue the conflict until liberty is secured and French soil delivered from the desecration of the invader.

Royal College of Surgeons of England.— Brothers-in-Arms, we greet you. Bound by ancient ties of blood and by the memories of many a gallant contest in the past, to-day we stand as one nation united in a sacred cause. We have before us a happy presage from the past. As the united efforts of Pasteur and Lister have laid low the tyranny of disease, so shall France and Britain