HOW PLANT FOOD IS PRESERVED 63 



agent that does the work. Elements, heretofore inert 

 and inactive, are gathered together during the process of 

 growth and are now associated by growth activity. Thus 

 the elements become available food or stored energy for 

 animal life, which in its turn and in its realm carries for- 

 ward the work of the physical world. Whether or not the 

 plant is utilized by animals, it performs its function ; for 

 in its growth, maturity and decay it exercises, as has been 

 shown, a profound influence in the formation and ameli- 

 oration of soils. But whether it goes directly back to the 

 soil by decay, or indirectly through the animal, the ele- 

 ments return to the soil and the air from which they were 

 originally drawn. While the organization has been 

 destroyed, not one single thing has been lost: all is re- 

 tained for future duty in the world's work. 



Plant food shifted but never lost. So plant food is 

 ever shifted but never lost. On the mountain top to-day, 

 but to-morrow it may be in the depths of the sea. In the 

 soil, useless it may be one year, but e'er the summer's sun 

 has passed again, it has been locked for a brief space in 

 grain or fruit or forage, gathered here and garnered there 

 until animal life has picked again its organized state to 

 pieces : when back to its original elemental form this 

 same material goes again. 



Not all elemental material is used. Do not think that 

 all the earth and air is engaged in this constant transitory 

 condition. This is true: only a part of the earth and air 

 are thus engaged just a wee bit, in fact. The greater 

 part of it, more than ninety-nine parts of every one hun- 

 dred, is never used at all. And why? Simply because 

 Nature has chosen that way as the manner in which her 

 work shall be done. For she is wiser than you may think. 

 Suppose she had allowed all the earth and all the air to 

 be usable food for plants and beasts and men : would it 



