The Albany register. [volume] (Albany, Or.) 1868-18??, 1877-03-30
sLUR AND sun LIGHTS.

ne war, as has been quite generally
but his elder brother. The
;avalry leader is Gen. Alfred Pleason-
Ton, while the discoverer of the blue
light theory is Gen. Augustus J. Pleas
anton. He is . graduate of West
Point; was in the regular army for some
time, from which he resigned; during
the war he was Brigadier- General OF
Pennsylvania militia, and was selected |
to organize body of 10000 men with
in the State for use in emergencies.
He is q lawyer Of prominence in Phila-
,ielphia. gentleman of culture, wealth,
and refinement. Owning farm out
side of the city, he, in 1860, commenced
TO experiment upon his theory regarding
the different colers in the SUMS rays,
and their effects upon vegetable and an
imal life. Experiments made in Europe
had already demonstrated that the blue
rays of the SUMS light had greater chem
ical powers than any of the others, de-
veloped greater amount of heat, and
were especially stimulating to vegeta-
ton. But these experiments had been
barren of practical results, and Gen.
PIeasonton was LETT to his own resources
TO carry out his ideas. He built large
grapery, covered with glass, every
eighth row OF which was blue. by this
arrangement, the sun in making its
rounds,
CAST BLUE RAY OF LIGHT
upon every plant and leaf within the
grapery. In April, 1861, he set out
twenty varieties of grape vines in his
grapery, all of the cuttings being one
year old, the size OF pipe stem, and
cut close 70 the ground. The vines
soon began to show q most vigorous
growth. and in few weeks the gr2pery
was filed with vines and foliage. By
September-or five months after setting
the seedman who had furnished the
cuttings made measurements, and found
that the vines had grown forty-five feet
| in length, and were an inch in diameter
| a foot above the ground. These vines
J attracted great attention in the neigh
borhood, but it was predicted that,
owing to this unusual growth, they
would not bear fruit. Next year, how
ever. the vines displayed the same vig-
orous growth, and, in addition, bore
over / 100 pounds of luscious grapes OF
unusual SIZE. This was more astonisn-
ing to horticuIturists than the growth
of the vines, but from that day to this
the vines have kept up the same vigor-
Gus growth, being entirely free from dis
ease and destructive insects, and bearing
with proportionate prolifcness. How
remarkable this result is will be appre-
ciated when it is known that, in grape
| growing countries, the vines do not bear
fruit until the fifth or sixth year. Hav-
ing been 60 successful in his first expert.
NEST with vegetable life, General Pleas
onton next tried the effect OF
BLUE LIGHT UPON ANIMALS.
His first experiment was with litter
OF pigs, which he placed in pen which
was lighted by blue and plain glass, in
serted in the root in equal proportions
This litter gained wonderfully in weight
size and strength, and, at the end of 6
few months, were found to weigh very
much more than similar litter raised
in the usual way. He next experiment
ed with m Alderney bull-calf, which
was so puny and weak at its birth tba
the manager of the farm said it coule
not live. 1t was put under blue glass
and in twenty-four hours it was able t.
stand up, and was taught to drink milk
| in four months it was perfectly devel
bull, strong and vigorous, and wa
turned in with the herd of cows, ant
has since fulfilled every expectation re
gArding him. Subsequently, other ex
periments gave him confidence, and nov
all his cattle are raised under blue glass
showing great vigor and the most SUI
pFising precocity. A heifer becomes
mother when IA months old, and tn
cows and their progeny are healthy an
strong, and the former are great milk
ers. It ie generally held that heifel
should not bear young before they al
four years old, but, under the influenc
= of blue glass, they do 80, without il
jury, when Is months cid, thus savin
= the expense OF keeping them throug
D two and a-hah years. The beneici;
y effect Of the associated plain and blu
rays Of suns light upon vegetable an
y animal life having been demonstrates
R TO the wonder and amazement of a
G who had observed the experiments, the
Z. effect was tried upon
VARIOUS SICK PERSONS.
The most astonishing results ha'
1e been obtained, which are certified to
-. such manner as to leave no doubt j
garding them. Commodore Goldsbc
vs. ough, who had read something regar
n ing Gen. Pleasonton's discovery, relat
I'd the case of q lady who premature
! gave birth to . child, which was we:
- and puny, weighing but three and a-h.
'et pounds at birth. There were blue CT
Cd tains to the windows of the room
=. which the child was reared, and the
s. were arranged so that the light, ent4
- ing the room, came about equal
lcs through the blue curtains and the pIs