New-York daily tribune., 1845-04-30
Electricity Applied to Vegetation.
we have been favored with the following letter with
uecraIs.or 10 rnhlisl Il N he Tribrne:l

permission 10 publish It N The THbrne:l
A,tERicAs IxsTITuTE, AP-.l IS isi5.
Sir: The theory Of the influence OF Electricity on
Vegetation ia by no means Dew-but the methods OF
applying il are OF recent discovery. The familiar
process; which you observed in Paris few years
ago-of causing seeds OF Cress and some other
plants 10 vesetate in few hours-the establishing
OF poles in fields of grain and grass with pointed
wires, by which percsptlble Increase OF growth
and difference OF color were remsrked-have
caused experiments 10 be uied here. You may
recollec, that al a meeting OF our Farmers Club
on the I'd OF July, 1874, Mr.. William Ross, oil
Ravenswood, NEAR this City) presented TO the
Club some Potatoes, Of which ne gave the follow
lag account
The potatoes measure sevenlnches IN clrcumisr-
ence He planted the seed potatoes on the hlh OF
May last, using ieares only FOR manure. To three
rows Of two hundred feet each IN length, ne ap-
piled al one end plate OF copper, and al the other
end one Of zinc. and connected the TWO plates oy a
copper wire, supported on an adjoining fence, so
that with the moist eartiI OF the three lows. the
electric circuit was complete. All the potatoes OF
the field were planted al the same time, but having
no galvanc apparatus attached, have small potatoes
OF the size OF peas. ! removed all the blossoms
from all the potatoes and the stems ahd leayes are
all much alike; so that THIS enormous difference
in the Tubers Is due 10 gaivanlsm.
Mr Ross had succeeded also IN remarkable
growth OF neutrality-suspicious. Cucumbers fye
inches long In thirty-seven days from planting the
seed, by applying electricity three times from
common Leyden jar.
This interesting experiment was published on the
Cd of July, 1874 IN the papers OF the nsntuie-re-
published in the Mechanics Magazine IN SepteHl-
ber lS44-also in the report OF Mr. Ellsworth, e0,-
900 copies were published byCongress and is again
presented in the London Quarterly Electrical Ma
gazne, published an April, lSl3-also IN the Lon
don Year Book OF Facts and IN many Other puoll-
md FL
publications, all giving credit 10 the American In,
stitute Since then experiments have been tred
10 SIN all pots, in this city, and the rapid growth OF
plants exhibited by similar galvamc process.
Ii cannot yet be safely asserted that such PEE
ternatural growth of plants will be found OF any
great utility, but it excies curiosity and will lead
to full trials-and the influence OF the illid upon
the growth of animals as well as vegetables VIII
be tried This use OF eiectncity was applied by
the late DR.. Felix Pascals, Chairman OF the Six
Committee OF the American institute, as long ago
as the wear lS2S, TO promote the growth OF silk
worms, he expermented and successfully applied
it, These experiments OF Doctor Pascalis were
noticed by some OF the most eminent treneh
chemists, and commented upon by the scientific
journals of France We know that in Northern
climates, where the Summer season Is short, and
where the Aurora Borealis Is almost constant
meteor, vegetation Is nearly double In rapldry, ot
that In temperate attitudes
trust that some OF our intelligent members Will
this summer try the gaivanlc clrcnlt upon all our
important vegetables and that the fruit grain, roots,
&c. &c will be subjected 10 comparative analysis
with those grown in the natural way-so thati may
be decided whether any chemical difference exists
between the two.
You may remember that Mr.. Morse tried some
OF his first elecro.ieegraphc experiments under the
auspices of the Institute Those wonderful first ex
periments are now abou; 10 find their growth like
galvanic growth-spread over the Union
! am iruly'yours,
II. MEIGS, Secretary of the
Farmers Club OF the American Institute.
Hon. JAMES TALiNADGE President
of the Americ III Institute.