quenching.]

TO MY FIRST TEACHER

PROFESSOR E.H.S. BAILEY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS

AND MY LAST TEACHER

PROFESSOR JULIUS STIEGLITZ OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO

THIS VOLUME IS GRATEFULLY DEDICATED

CONTENTS

I THREE PERIODS OF PROGRESS 3

II NITROGEN 14

III FEEDING THE SOIL 37

IV COAL-TAR COLORS 60

V SYNTHETIC PERFUMES AND FLAVORS 93

VI CELLULOSE 110

VII SYNTHETIC PLASTICS 128

VIII THE RACE FOR RUBBER 145

IX THE RIVAL SUGARS 164

X WHAT COMES FROM CORN 181

XI SOLIDIFIED SUNSHINE 196

XII FIGHTING WITH FUMES 218

XIII PRODUCTS OF THE ELECTRIC FURNACE 236

XIV METALS, OLD AND NEW 263

READING REFERENCES 297

INDEX 309

A CARD OF THANKS

This book originated in a series of articles prepared for _The
Independent_ in 1917-18 for the purpose of interesting the general
reader in the recent achievements of industrial chemistry and providing
supplementary reading for students of chemistry in colleges and high
schools. I am indebted to Hamilton Holt, editor of _The Independent_,
and to Karl V.S. Howland, its publisher, for stimulus and opportunity to
undertake the writing of these pages and for the privilege of reprinting
them in this form.

In gathering the material for this volume I have received the kindly aid
of so many companies and individuals that it is impossible to thank them
all but I must at least mention as those to whom I am especially
grateful for information, advice and criticism: Thomas H. Norton of the
Department of Commerce; Dr. Bernhard C. Hesse; H.S. Bailey of the
Department of Agriculture; Professor Julius Stieglitz of the University
of Chicago; L.E. Edgar of the Du Pont de Nemours Company; Milton Whitney
of the U.S. Bureau of Soils; Dr. H.N. McCoy; K.F. Kellerman of the
Bureau of Plant Industry.

E.E.S.

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

The production of new and stronger forms of steel is one
of the greatest triumphs of modern chemistry _Frontispiece_

FACING PAGE

The hand grenades contain potential chemical ener