﻿184 
  ANNUAL 
  REPORT 
  SMITHSONIAN 
  INSTITUTION, 
  1922. 
  

  

  tensive 
  cultivation. 
  Moreover, 
  such 
  an 
  undertaking 
  must 
  not 
  inter- 
  

   fere 
  with 
  the 
  area 
  now 
  used 
  for 
  the 
  production 
  of 
  foodstuffs. 
  

  

  COMPLEX 
  NATURE 
  OF 
  AGRICULTURAL 
  INDUSTRY. 
  

  

  Finally, 
  in 
  advocating 
  the 
  natural 
  photosynthetic 
  process 
  through 
  

   agricultural 
  industry 
  as 
  the 
  producer 
  of 
  a 
  supply 
  of 
  energy 
  there 
  

   has 
  been 
  evidenced 
  great 
  neglect 
  of 
  the 
  fact 
  that 
  agriculture 
  is 
  a 
  

   highly 
  sensitive 
  and 
  complex 
  industry. 
  The 
  fact 
  seems 
  to 
  be 
  too 
  

   readily 
  forgotten 
  that 
  agriculture 
  deals 
  with 
  biological 
  processes, 
  

   that 
  solar 
  radiation 
  is 
  but 
  one 
  of 
  many 
  factors 
  influencing 
  the 
  de- 
  

   velopments 
  of 
  plants, 
  and 
  that 
  in 
  almost 
  every 
  place 
  on 
  the 
  earth 
  

   where 
  agriculture 
  might 
  be 
  undertaken 
  there 
  is 
  far 
  more 
  light 
  than 
  

   the 
  plant 
  is 
  capable 
  of 
  utilizing. 
  

  

  The 
  uncertainties 
  of 
  agricultural 
  industry 
  arise 
  from 
  the 
  very 
  

   complex 
  nature 
  of 
  the 
  biological 
  processes 
  and 
  balances 
  involved 
  in 
  

   the 
  development 
  of 
  a 
  growing 
  organism. 
  Not 
  only 
  the 
  multiplicity 
  

   of 
  pests 
  and 
  diseases 
  with 
  which 
  agricultural 
  endeavor 
  must 
  contend, 
  

   but 
  the 
  relatively 
  sensitive 
  adjustment 
  to 
  climatic 
  environment 
  in- 
  

   creases 
  the 
  hazards 
  of 
  this 
  industry 
  enormously. 
  Thus, 
  of 
  course, 
  

   the 
  growth 
  of 
  plants 
  is 
  not 
  dependent 
  on 
  light 
  only, 
  but 
  on 
  a 
  variety 
  

   of 
  factors 
  not 
  associated 
  with 
  solar 
  radiation. 
  

  

  The 
  fact 
  that 
  during 
  critical 
  periods 
  in 
  the 
  development 
  of 
  a 
  plant 
  

   slight 
  changes 
  in 
  climatic 
  conditions 
  during 
  a 
  short 
  time 
  may 
  greatly 
  

   reduce 
  or 
  entirely 
  destroy 
  a 
  crop, 
  serves 
  to 
  emphasize 
  the 
  hazard 
  of 
  

   obtaining 
  energy 
  through 
  the 
  intermediary 
  of 
  plants. 
  In 
  agricul- 
  

   ture, 
  water 
  suppty 
  and 
  temperature 
  are 
  far 
  more 
  variable 
  and 
  de- 
  

   termining 
  factors 
  than 
  light 
  intensity. 
  On 
  the 
  proper 
  coordination 
  

   of 
  these 
  two 
  factors, 
  probably 
  more 
  than 
  any 
  other, 
  depends 
  the 
  

   success 
  of 
  crop 
  production. 
  

  

  On 
  the 
  other 
  hand, 
  considering 
  alone 
  the 
  solar 
  energy 
  which 
  it 
  is 
  

   our 
  object 
  to 
  store, 
  there 
  falls 
  on 
  the 
  earth 
  during 
  most 
  of 
  the 
  year 
  

   a 
  great 
  deal 
  more 
  than 
  any 
  plant 
  is 
  capable 
  of 
  utilizing. 
  

  

  SOLUTION 
  OP 
  THE 
  PROBLEM. 
  

  

  Nature 
  has 
  worked 
  out 
  a 
  method 
  of 
  utilizing 
  solar 
  energy. 
  It 
  is 
  

   the 
  duty 
  of 
  the 
  scientist 
  to 
  learn 
  the 
  precise 
  manner 
  in 
  which 
  this 
  is 
  

   accomplished. 
  He 
  need 
  not 
  be 
  timid 
  about 
  competing 
  with 
  nature. 
  

   He 
  has 
  many 
  cases 
  to 
  his 
  credit 
  of 
  surpassing 
  the 
  processes 
  of 
  nature 
  

   both 
  in 
  efficiency 
  and 
  reliability. 
  There 
  are 
  many 
  substances 
  now 
  

   effectively 
  produced 
  artificially 
  which 
  were 
  formerly 
  obtainable 
  

   only 
  from 
  plants 
  or 
  animals. 
  It 
  is 
  true 
  that 
  in 
  the 
  utilization 
  of 
  

   radiant 
  energy 
  there 
  are 
  a 
  great 
  many 
  intricate 
  difficulties 
  to 
  be 
  over- 
  

   come, 
  but 
  to 
  anyone 
  who 
  has 
  given 
  the 
  problem 
  thorough 
  study 
  it 
  

  

  