The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1895-10-10
GROWN BY ELECTRICITY.
Tno Governments Experiments In Agri-
culture.


culture.
Ifobably the most interesting of the
mapy miracles which scientific men are
Leaning to perform by aid of electricity
is We artificial growth of plants, tech
nlcapy known as electroculture This
Is aslyet new science and little has
been told the public concerning it. In
teresting experiments in these lines
are now being carried on at several of
the experimental stations of the de-
partment of agriculture.
The agricultural experiment stations
are testing several different systems of
electroculture. One of these is the di-
rect application of electricity, fur
nlshed by a dynamo, to the plant it.
self and to the soil in which it grows.
Another is the distribution of atmos-
pheric electricity among plants by
similar method. Still other tests are
being made with both arc and mean
descent electric lights for supplying
sunlight, so to speak, at night. The
first mentioned experiments are being
carried on by Prof. C. d. Warner, of
the experiment station at Amherst,
Mass. Prof. Warner has prepared two
plots of ground, side by side, each six
by twenty feet long. To compare
plants grown by electric aid with
those raised according to the natural
method one of the experiment gardens
is furnished with electricity and the
other is without it. The soil is of a
rich loan, and that of the electric
garden is surrounded with a timber
frame, on which are arranged nu-
merous porcelain insulators, a few
inches apart, holding a continuous, I'M
covered copper wire. This copper wire
crosses the garden as many times as
there are insulators on either side
The whole framework thus fitted
looks like the string frame of large
piano.
The wires are covered with earth to
the depth of two inches, and in both
gardens various vegetables have been
planted from time to time. These
plants are so arranged that the rows
in the electric gardens are continual
lions of those of the non-electric, in
order that the contrast of development
might be more easily noted. The
wires are fed from a small building
containing the necessary machinery
After applying currents of various
strengths it was found that a certain
flow of electricity through the cleo
trio garden produced strange results
Many varieties of seeds sprouted much
more rapidly and many plants bios
other. Roots of certain vegetables and
the tops of others were found to be
greatly enlarged under the process
In fact, all plants were found to be
stimulated by current of certain
strength. The physiological effect of
electricity upon plants, although not
yet definitely understood, is probably
similar to that experienced by the
human anatomy or by the animal It's
sues. Electricity is applied to par
alytics because it stimulates the
nerves and muscles, just as exercise
does. A strong current is used to re-
move superduous hair, while, accord
ing to later reports, a milder current
will produce hair on bald heads In
the same way an electric current too
strong will destroy plant life, while
milder one enhances itsgrowth. There
is also the theory that the electricity
produces chemical effect upon the
soil or surrounding atmosphere, rather
than direct effect upon the plants.
At the Ithaca IN. " experiment sta
ton Prof Bailey, by aid of electric
lights burned all night in greenhouses,
makes plant life work Overtime
that is, he forces plants to do both day
work and night work without mo-
ment of sleep Sunlight, as well as
atmosphere and water, is necessary for
a plants development. The electric
light resembles sunlight in its compo-
sition more than does any other artifi-
cial light. 1t is the common theory
that plants grow mostly at night,
making use of the air, water, sunlight
and other materials which they have
received during the day, when the sun
is shining. 1t is generally believed,
therefore, that they need rest, just as
animals need rest for the build
ing up of the tissues worn out during
the day. Prof, Bailey, however, does
not believe that plants need rest in the
same sense that animals do.
After learning of these wonderful re-
suits from experiments as yet in en-
bryo it would seem that we may vet
see the day when there will be many
harvestings on farm each summer.
The modern farmer will erect lines of
high poles throughout his fields, sup
porting not only mechauisms for gath
ering the atmospheric electricity, but
also immense electric lights for sup
plying sunshine by night. Who can
say but that forests will some day
be made to grow up from seeds in but
few months, or that the builders of
new houses may not grow shade trees
about their homes in that time?
A New Movement.
SSH said the timid-looking man