The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1892-05-28
ELECTRICITY IN AGRICULTURE.
ITS Direct Application TO Plants aud Flow
crs by Underground Wires.

ITS Direct Application TO Plants aud Flow
crs by Underground Wires.
The interesting experiments con-
Quoted by the government in forcing"
vegetables and flowers under the cleo
trio light have already proved of general
interest. IL has been demonstrated,
however, not only that plants can be
brought TO maturity earlier, but that
they can be grown to much larger
size by the direct application of the
electric current In recent expert
ment in that connection the wires con-
Meeting the positive and negative poles
of the batteries were conducted under
ground in parallel lines and between
them were planted peas and cereals,
which yielded nearly one-fourth more
than those planted under ordinary
conditions. In u later expert
ment, iron uprights were set in
the ground and their upper cX-
tremities were connected by wires. In
another ground battery was formed
by burying plates of zinc and copper at
distances of nearly 100 feet apart, CON
Meeting them by positive and negative
wires. This last experiment has been
tried with great success at the English
botanical gardens at Kew, and the
''yield" has been doubled and trebled in
consequence. The beauty and size of
the plants or vegetables thus treated
have been marked, and it is already
| evident that new era of Horticulture
will be inaugurated by the general en-
| ployment of such means by florists
while it is an open question whether the
adoption of electric forcing in the culti-
vation of market produce will not prove
decidedly remunerative to the gar
dener.
The electric force may not only be
applied to plants which have begun
their growth, however, but it can also
be eXerted on seeds with much advant-
age. In recent experiment on peas,
beans and rye, the seeds were moistened
and placed in glass tubes which con-
tanned at each end dies of copper con-
nected with the poles of an induction
coil Under the electric current thus
created the seeds appeared to gain en-
ergy, and when planted sprouted in
much less time than would have been
needed otherwise. In the majority of
instances the time required for sprout-
ing was but half of that usually requir-
ed. Another peculiar circumstance at
tending the electric experiments is that
the plants thus treated were remarSa-
bly, free from parasites and fungous
growth. This of itself would be sutfi
ciept to make its use advisable in crops
which are usually subject to "blight"
or mildew, while the size attained by
the vegetables, fruit, or flowers may
recommend electric culture" to those
who are anxious to secure the prizes
now offered by horticultural societies
and others for extraordinary growths.
1t seems impossible to explain exact
ly why the electric current should act
SO favorable upon plant growth, until
we know more of the electric fluid it
self. After stating that electricity is u
form of energy, just as heat or light is,
the cautious scientist will probably ac-
knowledge that he has reduced the
limit of his knowledge of what the
mysterious force really is. It is true
that the electric current is known to
break up the mineral salts which the
1
provide for the plants food which may
be easily taken up and digested. Yet the
energy exhibited by seeds which have
been treated with electricity apparent
ly show that the electric current has
more than a merely chemical effect. 1t
is generally believed that galvanic
current will act upon the molecular
structure of living organisms, and the
use of galvanic batteries in medical
practice is now common. 1t may easily
be that a similar work goes on in plants,
as well as that of animal tissue, is ac-
celerated and induced by the galvanic
force. AS yet, however, the theory
which underlies the new experiment has
not been formulated very definitely.
The results, however, are indisputable
and convincing and must be perfectly
satisfactory to those who have under
taken that line Of experiment.
Advocate.