The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1894-12-12
TRYING IT ON PLANTS
PROF. MACDOUGAL'S EXPERIMENTS
WITH ELECTRIC CURRENTS.

Although experiments on the effect of
electricity on the growth Of plants have
been carried ON by various investigators
for number Of years. yet so far no gen.
eral conclusions of any great scientific or
practical value have been attained. The re-
suits Of different sets of experiments are
quite contradictory and perplexing. So lit
tie attention has been paid to the measure
ment Of the currents used that the greater
number Of such experiments are almost
wholly valueless. Even If some certain
amount of current were beneficial to
growth and it Is not entirely decided that
such Is always the case, it can readily be
seen that If this amount were exceeded
or lessened, either harmful results or none
at all may follow.
With a view to obtaining some exact
scientific data on the subject Prof. D. 7.
MacDougal has planned series Of expert
ments to be carried on in the laboratory
for plant physiology in the University Of
Minnesota. These experiments will ascer-
tain the effect of a galvanic current pass
Ing through the soil on the plants growing
in it, and use a series of currents. From
one barely perceptible by sensitive gal
vanometer up to that taken from city light
Ing system. In order that exact measure
mentS of current and most advantageous
use of the current be made, the co-opera-
ton of Prof. Shepardson has been secured
and he will personally superintend all of
the electric appliances used. The results, it
Is hoped, will be deterfnnativ and while
purely scientific in their nature, will fur
nish the data from which economic expert
ments may be made. In this connection
large number Of experiments will be made
on the purely physiological effects Of an
electric current on plants The main ex-
periments do not deal with the direct effect
of electricity on plants, but only it's indirect
effect on plants growing in the soil through
which the current passes.
Thn Vino Sc 11o;~
by Mr.. Sandsten, of the senior class. An
examination Of the plant house, in which
the experiments are carried on, shows an
array Of wooden boxes, each containing
a certain amount Of soil, whose compost
ton has been ascertained by chemical
analysis. In each box are the same num-
Der Of plants, which were as near alike
as possible in the beginning. These boxes,
containing the plants, are placed so that
each will receive an equal amount of sun
light, while each plant is the recipient of
as careful attention from Mr.. Cuznor the
gardener, If it were the last specimen
of nearly extinct species, and the amount
of water each receives per day is noted
to within a cubic centimeter. Half of the
boxes receive no current and act as con-
troll cultures, while the remainder are
divided into four lots, each receiving
different amount Of current. It Is sup
posed that the electricity affects the plant
in three ways: First, by accomplishing
the decomposition Of the soil; second, by
influencing the growth of the soil bacteria
which bear such important relations to the
nutrition of the higher plants and, third
by direct stimulation of the plant from
the passage of the current through the
roots.
AS soon as the experiments in progress
are finished a second set using greater
amounts of current, will be tried, and in
this way some definite conclusions may be
reached.