The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1845-05-29
ELECTRICITY AND AGRICULTURE.

The element which now promises to be turned TO
the increased of man. the most extraordinary
way, is electricity; and Of all the uses to which this
marvellous agent has hitherto been applied, none
promises such remarkable results as its application
to agriculture. Though the principle had long been
admitted that electricity had great effect vege-
tation is not until Of late that any practical app
cation of such aid has been attempted but from the
results, as well as from the comparatively trifling
cost Of the experiments which have been lately
made, we quite agree TO the conclusion Of London
journalist that the new agent is likely, before long,
to produce as great revolution in agriculture the
steam engine or spinning jenny have effected in
manufactures. A very interesting experiment, on
a somewhat considerable scale, has just been made
in the north of Scotland portion of field of bar
ley to which electricity was applied, producing at
the rate of thirteen quarters and half TO the acre.
while the surrounding land, similarly treated in all
other respects, produced the usual quantity of five
or six quarters TO the acre-the electrcised barley
weighing, moreover, 9 lbs. to the bushel more than
the other.
The mode in which the fluid is collected and APP
piled to influence the land is very simple. The
field is divided into oblong squares, rs yards long,
and 40 wide--containing, therefore, Just acre.
At each Of the angles of the square, pegs driven
into the ground, and four strong iron wires at
tached-communicating with each other--so as to
form square Of wire, and sunk inches below the
surface; at two points, directly opposite, in the CEN
in the ground Is feet high, and wire, communica-
ting with the cross wire beneath the surface is
red up one Of the poes and along the centre of the
square to the other, down which tits conducted, and
attached to the cross wire beneath the surface at
that pont--the square being so formed as to run
from north 10 south, so that this upper wire shall
be at right angles with the equator. As consid
cradle body Of electricity is generated in the atmos
pierre and travels constantly from east to west, with
the motion Of the earth, this electricity is attracted
by this upper wire, and communicated to those
forming the square under the surface of the ground
1t is suggested, however, that any quantity of
electricity can be generated by placing under the
ground point in the centre Of one Of the longer
sides of the obong, bag of charcoal and plates of
zinc at the point directly opposite on the other side
connecting the two by wire passing over two poles
similar to those mentioned in the preceding account
and crossing the longitudinal wire passing from those
poles.
The cost at which this application can be made is
computed at pound per acre, and it is reckoned
to last ten or fifteen yearsthe wires being carefully
taken up and replaced each year.
This discovery is certainly one of the most inn
portant of modern days, and would compensate full
for the giving out of lshaboe, poudrette,
and other methods of manurng the ground also ex-
hausted.--.E Y. Evening Gazette.