354 THE LURE OF THE LAND 



expectation of reaching economic results utterly futile. 

 In the great majority of cases, as has been seen, the 

 process of synthesis is conducted on materials already 

 organized by living cells. The enormous cost of build- 

 ing up any kind of a commercial, synthetic organic 

 body directly from the elements is such as to render it, 

 in my opinion, utterly improbable of successful achieve- 

 ment. 



" Even if food products can be formed in the crucible 

 there is no reason whatever for supposing that they can 

 ever play any role in an economic sense. The untold 

 billions of laboratories which nature builds are in- 

 finitely cheaper in construction and operation than 

 those filled with platinum and porcelain. The sun ig- 

 nites the crucibles of nature at an expense far less than 

 attends the use of the city gas works. The director of 

 Nature's laboratory depends on no endowment nor leg- 

 islation for his salary and his bills for supplies are 

 not disallowed by any board of auditors on the score of 

 economy. Night and day his patient, faithful assist- 

 ants work without thirst for fame, without hope of re- 

 ward. They fight not for priority of discovery, and 

 their anonymous papers are printed in rich profusion 

 in the great Berichte of the universe. The chemistry 

 of the chlorophyl cell is far more wonderful than 

 any of the achievements of Lavoisier, Berzelius, or 

 Fischer. 



" It would doubtless be a solace to the weary toiler 

 in the sun to look forward to a time when he might lie 

 in the shade while proteins were pricking up their ears 

 in the condenser and fats frying in the scientific pan. 

 But in the days of the far future, while Berthelot will 

 still be honored, and Fischer praised, the farmer will 

 be found following in the furrow, fields of waving grain 



