The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1891-11-25
PLANT LIFE,
THE INFLUEN NOE OF ELECTRIC
ITY UPON VEGETATION.

Probabilities That Market Gardeners
May Probably Use the Mysteri-
Gus Current-The Electric
Light Accelerates Maturity.
A few months ago we described some
Of the experiments by which Cell In
France, Lemstrom in Finland, and
Specimen in Southern Russia have shown
how great an influence may be exerted
upon plant life by electricity, and sug.
gested that eventually it might be posi-.
bic for market gardeners to use the
electric current pro6tably. In those
experiments the electric current was
applied to the seeds, the soil in which
the plants were growing, and the air
Immediately above the surface of the soil,
but it does not appear that the influence
of the electric light upon vegetation was
the subject Of inquiry. It is now reported
that a market gardener in the town of
Arlington, Mass, named Rawson, has
become convinced that he can use the
electric light to advantage. The re-
suits of his experiments are not wholly
in accord with those of similar expert
ments made at Cornell University, but
they certainly deserve to be noticed. In
1889 the town began to use electric
lights in the streets, and one of these
lights was set up near his house and in a
place where its rays fell upon several
beds of flowers whose growth had never
been satisfactory to the gardener. These
plants o o began to thrive and to grow
rapidly and vigorously. Believing that
the electric light was the cause of
this change, the gardener set up
lights of the same kind in his
large lighthouses, where cucumbers ard
lettuce were produced in the cold season.
In the winter of 18S9-90 he proved to
his own satisfaction, WI are told, that he
could raise a larger crop of lettuce in a
time with the help of the electric light;
that the quality was better than before,
and that his profits were larger by twen-
ty-fve per cent. he found the arc lights
more effective than the incandescent
burners. Last winter he failed to obtain
the necessary lights, and for this reason
could not continue his experiment, but
he intends to resume the investigation in
the coming winter months.
The experiments at Cornell University
were made in a forcing house divided by
a board partition, one-half being SUBJ
iected to natural conditions of light and
darkness and the other receiving sunlight
by day aud electric light during the
whole or a part of the night. The re-
suits are described in the Electrical Eags-
nesr. The general effect of the electric
light applied during the entire night was
to hasten maturity, especially in the case
Of lettuce, spinach, and similar plants,
which even ran to seed before edible
leaves were formed. Growth so acceler-
ated could scarcely be profitable in a
market garden. Plants within five feet
of the lamp died soon after they came
out of the soil. Radishes within
six feet were nearly dead at
the end of six. weeks. Our readers
may remember that by applying the cleo
trio current to the seeds and afterward to
the soil, Specimen caused radishes to
grow seventeen inches long and five and
q half inches in diameter. Entire crops
in the normal half of the Cornell forcing
house were about twice as great as those
in the half exposed to the electric light.
When the light was inclosed in a globe
of white 'sopal" glass, the effect of it
upon the plants was softened, but was
still injurious, except with respect to let
tuce, the condition of which was i'm.
proved.
Experiments with flowers showed that
the colors of tulips were made deeper
and richer for 3 few days, although after
ward this exceptional intensity was lost.
Verbena flowers growing near the elec-
trio light were uniformly injured; the
leaves were small, and those on the lower
parts of the clusters turned brown and
died before those on the top opened.
The color OF scarlet, dark red, blue, and
pink flowers was soon turned to a grayish
white. The light caused petunia plants
to grow tall and slender, while they
bloomed earlier aud more profusely. But
he flowers faded under the light and
tbecame poor in quality.
Experiments similar to those of Lem.
strom and Others who have applied the
current to seeds and to the soil have
been made at the Massachusetts, Agri-
cultural College, and the results will.
soon be made known. Lemstrom
measured the influence of the current
upon growing wheat as we'll as upon
vegetables, procuring fifty per cent.
more wheat from q small tract on which
the plants were exposed to electricity
difused by q net work of wires than was
grown on an adjoining tract OF simillar
soil where no electricity was used.
While it seems to have been proved be-
yond a doubt that the growth of many
plants is greatly accelerated by applying
the electric current at first to the seeds
and afterward to the soil and the air just
above the surface of the ground, n
that a majority Of the plants which have
been used in the experiments are not In
iured BY such treatment, it is also shown
that the rapid growth of Towering
plants induced by the electric light, as
it is commonly used, is exhaustive and
unhealthy. It does not follow, how
ever, that under modifying conditions,
vet to be asccrtained by careful tests,
this light cannot be used to accelerate
the growth of such plants and of some
vegetables without causing exhaustion
or impairing quality. -NeU York Times