New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-03-18
ELECTRICITY IN FARMING.
srE,MENS'S INTERESTING RESULTS.
rur GROWTH OF PLANTS AND THE DEVELOP
MENr OF FRUIT sTIMULATED-ELECTRIc
HORTICULTURE POSSIBLE UNDER
CERTAIN CONDITIONS.
rnY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE.]


washington, March 17.In compliance with reso-
..;on Of the Senate the state Department directed
hs copsls OF the United States to prepare and trans
-, reports on the of electrcp as power in the
onulsion OF farm machinery and implements and In
- propo cation Of plants In their respective districts.
n.ss reports which will be published in few days.
~ MT show that the Of electricity for either
.u,nose has passed the experimental stage In any
sor.ien country. except In one or two instances.
c.veral OF the experiments however. especially those
Ia by the late Sir william Siemens In England, pro-
dced results which will be regarded as exceedingly
interesting and important and perhaps encouraging
:. borticultursts and florists in the United States
the experiments of Siemens for the purpose
=, .scertaning the effects of electric light upon the
.,ovth Of plants and the development of blooms and
tun The report shows that these experiments were
,Aorcugh and exhaustive. and gives In the words
a. the experimepter himself full details of the means
need and the methods Of application. AS the result
A. his experiment he was led to these conclusions
l. That electric light is both eicacious In produc-
inc cbcrophyl In leaves Of plants in promOt
Ing growth
. That light centre equal to l. 400 candles placed
AZ distance OF two metres from growing plants ap-
nesrs to equal in effect daylight in February,
Int more economical effects can be attained by more
powerful light centres.
g. That carbonic acid and the heterogeneous COM
mounds generated in dminutive quantities in the cleo
TIC arc produce sensible deeterious effects upon
plsnts iEclosed in the same space.
A. That plants do not appear to require period
Of rest during the twentyfour hours Of the day. but
mako increased and vigorous progress If subjected dur
ina DAYTIME to sunlight, and during the night to
, electric light.
E. That the radiation of heat from powerful electric
area can be made available csunteract the effect OF
night FROST
g. That while under the influence Of electric light,
plants can sustain increased stove heat without
collapsing, circumstance favorable to forcing by
electric light.
:. That the light is efscacious in Fastening the
development Of flowers and fruits. The flowers pro-
duced by It's aid are remarkable for intense coloring
and the fruit both for bloom and aroma without sp-
parent augmentation of tic saccharne constituents
g. That the expense Observation-Disclosures depends
mainly upon the cost of mechanical energy. and is
very moderate when natural sources Of such energy
IS waterfalls can be made available.
Among the experiments one to try the effect
Of the electric light upon plants In the open air and
under glass at te same time. The result is given as
follows:
sThat growth was promoted under all these vary
ing circumstances proved clearly BY shading por
ton Of the plants both under glass and In the open
air from the electric light without removing them
from their position Of equal temperature and exposing
them to solar light during the day time Upon
towering plants the effects are very striking ana
the electric light u apparently more eftcacious 10
bring them forward than daylight In winter. Although
the quantity Of heat given of By the electric light is
not so great in that from yet the heat
rays from the aro oounteract that loss Of heat from
the leaves BY radiation into space which boar
frost ON o clear night. An experiment made on
hight OF frost clearly proved that although the
temperature on the ground did not &her materially
within the range of the electric light and beyond It,
the radiant effect Of the Light such as TO prevent
frost entirely within ts range. For this reason
ful iCati0 Of
front Of fruit walls In orchards and gardens to save
the frultbud at the time Of setting
1t was thought that the action Of the electric light
upon ripening fruit might resemble that Of the sun.
and that saccharine matter, more especially the
aromatic constituents. would be produced. To test
this several plants OF early strawberries in pots were
placed In two groups the one being subjected to day
light only and the other to solar light during the day
and to electric light at night, the plants being at
the beginning Of the experiment partly setting fruit
and partly in bloom. After week the fruit on the
latter had sweed much than that on the others
Of the berries showing signs Of rpening AT
that stage the experiment interrupted for two
nights and when the electric light resumed very
rapid progress was observed, and after four days
continuous exposure to both day and electric light
the majority Of the berries had become ripe and
showed rch red color while the fruit OF the plants
that had been exposed TO daylight only scarcely
showed sign Of redness.
Experiments with melons also clearly proved the
beneficial effects of the electric light In promoting
the setting Of fruit, the process OF rpenng and the
production Of aroma The experimenter remarked
that f these results should be confirmed the horti-
culturist will be able to make himself practically IN
dependent Of solar light for producing high quality
Of fruit at all seasons of the year" Other expert
ments seemed to demonstrate that the electric light,
when placed In Conservatives, improves the appear
ance and growth OF plants. "The leaves become
darker the plants vigorous and the coloring OF
the flowers brighter. but further period OF time Is
Necessary to establish this observation absolutely
Further experiments showed that the color OF
flowers and fruit subjected TO continued electric light
Is greatly intensified and that strawberries had been
brought to rpening fully fortnight before the usual
time, such fruit being remarkable for It's color ana
aromatic favor. In closing his account OF h'S eS-
periments sir William Siemens asked SIS 1t posi-
bic TO make OF electric aid for growing pants
and developing fruit for the market ?! and answered
his own question follows
1T depends in the first place upon the amount OF
effect that be produced, and In the second place
upon the cost. My opinion IS that the result OF eX
periments Oh a large scale will come out favoraDIy
As regards lis application 10 high class horticulture
By working "a steam engine and using the waste
steam TO heat water that circUlatcs through Inc
stoves believe that there VIII be very little extra
consumption OF fuel, and If that view be realized
the expense of the electric light will not be great at
all and the steam engine could be used Iii Inc uay
time for various other ordinary useful purposes
After a calculation showing that the cost OF fuel
ut 81 ton to generate electricity enough 10 man
tain nine 6OOOcandle power electro lighs-"hch
would be sufficient for area OF threc-lour'hS Oh
an acre-wouid amount TO Sc night, ana ila' Inc
cost OF carbons and an attendant would amount 10
much more, he continued:
"If however, an engine could be u'nneu uo'"s
other descriptions OF work during The day. the cos
~ s,.. ,,e,,.r and attendance for the night work
only you,d be considerably reduced. have asoumeo
In tho calculation Just given the use oil iaei , ~
produce NEE h:nical energy but me qu.a,,"n a,, m
assume a totally different aspect ii halu'n Sou Jun
Of Dover sucl, rs waterfalls, can be rendered Nai.
able within short distance. Inc COS. ., nd pJ hat
Of attendance c1eaty diminished ana IL seems p,"r
abe that under such circumstances electro
may L.. carried out with considerable adNan,iec.