Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1893-07-20
SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY.
SARiofs MATTERS or INTEREST
TO curious MINDS.
The Woadcrfui Prugrrss Made 4"
the Cultivation ~ Plants ny Eicc-
tricity--toddcc From rrecs--Nn-
other Typc-Comp"sing Machinc,

Some most valuable nj Iii ms 10 the
data available IN regard 90 the new
science of clcctroculurc, or the cult
walton of Plants 10y electricity, have
been made by Brother pnulin, as The
results of n series ot experiments cun-
Quoted scientifically, These expert
mcnts have extended over the last two
years, Finding that electricity cNcrtcd
Brother rnulm devised what he called
"gcomugnctiferc, for the purpose of
attracting what electricity Is found
near the earth In consequence Of me-
neurological phenomenal, such rs storlls,
ruins, wind, etc, and distributing II In
the ground In the vicinity OF tho roots
of Rants, The ,scomlgnetitrte Is res
nous pole, ranging In height from 10
to 80 foar, which Is planted III the
ground, and which supports, by means
of porcelain msltlators, II galvanized
iron rod that terminates in ave copper
pomts; these points project prominent
" from It's top. This collecting brush
Is connH ctcd 10y means of the rod Wit,
a system of wires feet q inches apart,
which distribute the electricity IN the
ground which Il Is proposed 10 inilu
cncc. The area depends upon the
height of the pole An 1rrn of, say,
3,5SS square yards, for example, Is
allowed n pole - feet > inches high
The wires nre buried to II depth Of
to Is inches In the ground, aud win
last for man, years, IN fnct until they
lao, \.
pertinent made 10y Brother rnulin wax
conducted In the spring of 1891, Ia a
potato field belonging to u farmer In
tho suburbs of Monthrson, France A
report was published In the following
Iuly which drew special att 'nttpn 10
The marked irregllnrlty In The ycgcta,
ton In the field which ms been brought
under the influence of the current. II
said "in an exact circle In which the
electric conductors ARE buried the po-
tnto plants have u growth double mat
IN the rest of the field And this Is true
without exception Here Is no gap
In the groups of plauts, forming u cir
cln almost M exact ~ II II hnu neeh
drawn by "A compass" The Agrlcultlr.
al Society Of Montbrlson regarded the
results attained of such Importance MS
To hnllllt liIhlntT RUM w Tl"N"'
medal The report of the committee
she Wa that thu operations of the geo.
mngnctifcrr extended over mn area of
90 feet i inches IN radius In TINS
part of the ,ield the stems Of the po'
tato plants attained mn extraordinary
size and development, and pr HiVed
AT the same Il freshness that ,ontrnsled
very fnvoruhly with those IN nciRlhor'
ing parts Of the field The items we're
measured und wee found 10 'rnch II
height of 5T.ST inches AMI 1871 LOO"
inch In diameter -Four patches ot
ground which represented the average
vegetation IN both parts Of the hcid
were selected. two OF which were tray
crsnd by wires while the other two
were rot subjected ia The influence or
electricity. The thirtytwo meters ~
the former area yielded loS pounds
of potatoes, while the same area OF the
uninnuenccd portion II the h,ld pro
duccd ~ pounds, The production per
hcclare G40 acres, IN the first case
would be- ~ 900 pounds and IN The See
end n,lIO pounds. This result. Mt
tanned without any p'cill fcrtilizing
and with u common variety OF potatoes
cu,lnls the best crops obtain III NJ large
expense with chemical fertilizers,