. "It's time we
started in to do something for this planet." He looked toward Beeson.
"How far have you gotten?" he asked.

* * * * *

Beeson was, as usual, brisk and direct.

"I can give you the essentials," he said. "I can't tell you the whole
story. I don't know it. To be brief, the soil is highly nitrogen
deficient, and completely lacking in humus. In a way, the two points tie
in together." He looked about him sharply, and then went on. "The
nitrates are easily leached from the soil. Without the bacteria that
grow around certain roots to fix nitrogen and form new nitrates, the
soil was soon depleted.

"As to the complete lack of organic material, I can hazard only a guess.
Time, of course. But, back of that, probably the usual history of an
overpopulation, and a depleted soil. At the end, perhaps they ate
everything, leaves, stems and roots, and returned nothing to the earth."

"The nitrates are replaceable?" Renner asked.

Beeson nodded.

"The nitrates will have formed deposits," he said, "probably near
ancient lakes or shallow seas. It shouldn't be too hard to find some."

Renner turned to Farrow.

"How about your department?" he asked.

"I take it we're thinking of farming," Farrow said. "I've got equipment
that will break up the soil for you. And I can throw a dam across the
stream for water."

"There are seeds in the ship," Renner said, his eyes lighting with
enthusiasm. "We'll start this planet all over again!"

"There's still one thing," Beeson reminded him drily. "Humus! Leaves,
roots, organic material! Something to loosen up the soil, aerate it.
Nothing will grow in a brick."

Renner stood up. He took a few slow paces, and then stood looking out at
the groups of boulders studding the ancient plain.

"I see," he said. "And there's only one place to get it. We'll have to
use the lichens and the mosses."

"There'll be trouble with the natives if you do," Thorne said.

Renner looked at him. He frowned thoughtfully.

"You'll be taking their only food," the doctor pointed out.

"We can feed them from the synthetizer," Renner answered. "We know that
they will eat it."

"Why bother?" Farrow asked sourly.

Renner turned on him.

"Will the synthetizer handle it?" he asked.

"I guess so," Farrow grumbled. "For a while, at least. But I don't see
what good the natives are to us."

"If we take their food," Renner said, "we're going to feed them. At
least until