The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1877-03-02

SOsne Yas2abie Information
from den. k>leHSaR aOza's Book
The Effects of the dcRaelaaicnR
Rays On Animal and VeSeIa-
Bile Life.
Major General Pleaanten has
just published in book-form
number of addresses, memoirs,
ETC., written and delivered by him
at various times, on the influence
of the blue rays of the sky in
developing animal and vegiteble
life, arresting disease, and restor-
ing life in acute and chronic dis
orders to human and domestic
animals. During The summer of
1871, says General Pleasanton, a
professional gardener in Massa-
chusetts (near Boston), who had
been trying for some time TO pro-
tect his young plants from. minute
insects which fed upon them, after
numerous experiments, all of
which failed. succeeded which the
blue ray. He made small TRAN
gular frame, covered it with blue
eauze' prepared the ground and
sowed the seed, covering portion
of the ground with the frame and
gauze, leaving the other part ex-
posed to the attacks of the in
sects. The plants outside the
frame were all eaten as soon as
they germinated; those under it
escaped entirely.
General Pleasanton's eXplana-
ton of the phenomenon is that
the sunlight, negatively electri-
fed in passing through the mesh
es of the blue gauze, which is
positively electrified, excites an
electro, magnetic current sufficient
ly strong. to destroy the feeble
vitality of the eggs or of the in
sects themselves, which are in the
soil with the seed, leaving the new
to terminate rapidly under it sim
fiuence.
A lady residing in Philadelphia
also informed the General that,
having some choice plants in pots
in her sitting room which were
dropping, she threw over them a
common blue gauze veil, UGH as
ladies wear, and exposed them to
the sunlight, and in a short time
they were fully restored to health
and vigor.
The General also says on the
insect question that, having in
troduced blue glass into the win
dows of one of the servants,
sleeping-room, it was noticed
that large numbers of flies which
had previously infested them were
soon found dead on the inside stills
of the windows.
A gentleman in West Philadel-
phia had a large lemon-tree, which
he priced highly, He placed it in
his hall near the vestibule door.
the side-lights of which were Of
glass of differnt colors, blue and
violet predominating. The sun.
light passing through these side
lights fell upon a portion of the
branches of the lemon-tree, and
great vigor was impaired to the
vitality of these branches, which
were filled with fine fruit, while
other branches which did not re
ceive the light from the blue anC
violet panes were small and with
out fruit.
The early vegetables used In
the Generals family are for the
most part started in pots under
blue and plain glass, then trans
planted into proper soil, and are
ready for use several weeks in
advance of the market. Thus ht
has used corn as early as July II
which does not ordinarily mature
until August 10.
During the latter part of 1871
Commodore Goldsborough learn
ed of General Pleasanton's ex
perlments and proceeded to i'm
itate them at Mound City, Illinoi.
where he was then stationed.
The first trial was made by the
surgeon, who had every alternate
pane of upcolored glass removed
from each of two windows in his
parlor, and substituted for then
corresponding panes of blue glass
A number of plants and vines o.
many varieties, potted, were pro
perly placed in the room, and in 8
short time began to manifest TIE
effects of the remarkable influence
to which they had been subjected
Their growth was rapid, and they
increased IN the length of their
branches from one inch and hall
to three inches, according to theil
species, every twenty-four hours
The second experiment was
made on the development Of new.
ly-hatched chickens of two broods
of the same variety Matched on
the same day. One of the coops
was partly covered with blue and
plain glass; the other coop was
a common one. The chickens
were fed at the same time, with
equal quantities of the same feed.
Those under the blue glass soon
began to display the effects of the
stimulating influence of the blue
and sunlight by their daily almost
visible growth and increase OF
activity, far exceeding the devel-
opment of the chickens of the
other brood.
Early in 1872 the wife of one of
the gentlemen en- the station gave
birth prematurely to q child weigh
ing only three and a half pounds.
1t was very feeble, possessing but
little vitality. The windows of the
room In which il was born and
reared were draped with blue cur
tsins, through which and the plain
glass windows the sunlight entered
| the room. The tactical system of the
mother was greatly excited and se=
cre;ed an excessive quantity of milk,
! while at the same 1me the ehild's
appetite was increased to such an
extent that the mother sometimes
found it difficult to satisfy its hung
er. The child grew rapidly, and in
four months after its birth weighed
twenty 1.-TWO pounds, being at the
rate of foar and five-eighths pounds
per month. Gen. Pleasonton pro-