The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-12-21
PLANT GROWN BY ELgCTRIolTY
me Successful Experiments OF a Bos-
ton Market Gardener,

ton Market Gardener.
From the Boston Journal
experiments upon electricity as affecting
plant growth have beenigoing OF for some
time at the Massachusetts Agricultural Col.
iege at Amherst. and Prof. Warner, who is
giving great attention to the matter, is pre-
paring paper for an agricultural bulletin.
which Will not only enbody the results of
bis own experience, but will give the inves-
LEGATIONS lately made in foreign countries.
intense Interest has been aroused among
Massachusetts, farmers and agriculturists by
the recent publication of q bulletin from
the agricultural station of Cornell Univer-
sity In whicn the declaration is made that
experiments show that the electric light can
De prontaoly used in the growing OF plants.
In the light OF this announcement the publi-
cation OF Prof. Warmers experiments will
be looked forward TO with considerable in
terest- Prof. Warner has conducted his in
vestigations with great care and thorough
ness. and few persons outside the college
stan have been aware that experiments
were going on. 1t is understood that i'm
portant experiments have also been made
at the college with elecuric currents, with
the end In view Of verifying the expert
ments OF foreign scientists which 90 to
show that the action of electric currents
upon plants and vegetables seems to consist
10 the active dissolution of the organic
principles existing In the soil, which are
thereby brought within the reach Of the
roots. thus causing more rapid q rowth in
shorter period.
independent OF the experiments at the
agricultural college only one private indi-
vidual In the state is known to have expert
mented with the electric light, and that is
W. w. Rawsen, an extensive market gar
dener In Arlington. Mr.. Rawson had his
attention drawn to the effect of the electric
light on plant growth in a singular manner
and by accident. As far as he Is concerned,
therefore, his experiments were original
with himself, and were made long before he
heard any attention was being paid to the
subject by foreign or American scientists
Ia the fall OF 1889 1t SO happened that an
electric light was erected by the town of Ar
ington for street lighting purposes at a
point In close proximity to one side of his
residence. On that side Of his house we're a
number OF flower beds which never thrived
until the rays Of the electric light began to
fall upon them The plants soon began to
show an Unusual change. Finally they ex-
hioited such lively and increased growth
that they could not fail to attract attention,
and no reason could be assigned for the phe-
nomenon but the effect of the electric light.
determined 10 push the experiment further,
Mr.. Rawsen introduced lights into his ex-
toAAoAfo sloVOIou u, tu6 WlnU6I IA T.
ing mataly OF cucumbers and lettuce. The
marked effect on his crop became at once
very manifest, and the experiment was
seemingly so successful during the winter Of
1889 and 1890 that he fully demonstrated to
his own satisfaction that he could raise q
larger crop of lettuce or cucumbers of better
quality Ia a shorter time than he could be-
fore; in fact, he convinced himself that the
electric light enabled him to increase his
profits Is per cent over what they had been
before. Last winter he was disappointed in
obtaining electric power and could not make
further Investigation. Meanwhile he CORE
sponded with scientists at home and abroad
and impaired to them the results he had OBJ
tanned. He hopes this winter TO resume his
experiments on large scale and is making
preparations to that end. He has expert
mented both with arc lights and incandes-
cents and has found that the former are
more efficient.