DIMINISHING THE WORLD'S FOOD SUPPLY.

Thames Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2971, 23 August 1878, Page 3

DIMINISHING THE WORLD'S FOOD SUPPLY.

We warn speculators on the population question that they must henceforth cease to regard war as one of their "positive checks." Gunpowder contains on an average 75 per cent, of saltpetre or nitrate of potash, equivalent to 10"2 per cent, of combined or available nitrogen. Of this 102 per cent., 998 per cent., or practicalhrthe whole, escapes in the form of free n?sfogen,and is consequently rendered useless. Assuming tf'e total production of gunpowder to be at least 100,000,000 pounds annually, this is shown to mean the destruction in advance of 500,000,000 pounds of bread a year. Every ounce of powder used in war, celebrations, etc., means the absolute unrecoverable loss to the world of a certain quantity of food ; diminishes the fertility of the earth, and makes the struggle for existence steadily more difficult. There is here furnished an additional argument against Fourth of July combustion of gunpowder, and arbitration advocates may also fairly cite it against war. A great war not only extinguishes large numbers of usefnl lives, but does so at the cost of potential life. If people buried every year 500,000,000 pounds pf bread in the earth they would be guilty of frightful prodigality, but then the nitrogen would atill be available for the future. When they burn 100,000,000, pounds of gunpowder, however, they perform an infinitely more wasteful act, as they permanently diminish the amount of food the earth is capable of yielding.— Journal of Science.