The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1895-08-14
NO NEED OF SUN.
Plants Grown by Electricity at Agricul.
turaI Experiment Station.
Ne,U York Herald.

are learning to perform by ala OF elec-
tricity is the artificial growth of plants,
technically know as electriculture or
electro horticulture. This is as yet
new science, and little has been told
the public concerning it. Interesting
experiments in these lines are now
being carried on at several Of the cx-
pertinent stations of the department of
agriculture.
East Indian jugglers have excited
the curiosity of the world by their
miraculous creations Of certain plants,
which they cause to spring up from
seeds in few seconds. Whether
these adopts are conversant with the
stimulating effects Of electricity upon
vegetable life, and whether they use
the electric fluid in these tricks, is
yet to be solved. 1t is, however,
fact that agricultural experts in this
country are growing plants much more
rapidly than nature herself, although
no lightning flash juggleries have yet
been accomplished.
The agricultural experiment stations
are testing several different systems Of
electroculture. One of these is the
direct application of electricity, fur
nished by a dynamo, to the plant
itself 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 incan-
descent electric lights for supplying
sunlight, so to speak, at night. The
first mentioned experiments are being
carried on by Professor c. D. Warner,
of the experiment station at Amherst,
Mass. Professor Warner has prepared
two plots of ground, side by side, each
six to twenty feet long. To compare
plants grown by electric aid with those
raised according to the natural method
one of the experimental gardens is
furnished with electricity and the
other without it. The soil is of rich
loam, and that Of the electric garden
is surrounded with timber frame, on
which are arranged numerous porce-
lain insulators, a few inches apart,
holding continuous uncovered copper
wire. This copper wire crosses the
garden as many times as there are in
sulators 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 were so arranged that the rows
in the electric garden were continua-
tions Of those of the non-electric, in
order that the contrast of development
might be more easily noted. The
wires are all fed from a small building
containing the necessary machinery.
After applying currents of various
strengths it was found that certain
flow Of electricity through the electric
garden produced strange results.
Many varieties of seeds sprouted much
more rapidly and many plants bios
somed much earlier than in the other.
Roots of certain vegetables and the
tops of others were found to be greatly
enlarged under this process. In fact,
all plants were found to be stimulated
by a current of a certain strength.
The physiological effect Of electricity
upon plants, although not yet def
nitely understood, is probably similar
to that experienced by the human
anatomy or by the animal tissues.
Electricity is applied to paralytics be-
cause it stimulates the nerves and
muscles, just as exercise does. A
strong currents used to remove super
auous hair, while, according to latest
reports, milder current will produce
hair on bald heads. In the same way
an electric current too strong will de-
stroy plant life, while a milder one
enhances it's growth. There is also
the theory that the electricity pro-
duces chemical effect upon the soil
or the surrounding atmosphere, rather
than direct effect upon the plants.
At the Ithaca, n. Y, experiment
station Professor Bailey, by aid Of
electric lights burned all night in
greenhouses, makes plant life work
cover me"-that is, he forces plants
to do both day work and night work
without moment of Sleep Sun
light, as well as atmosphere and water,
is necessary for plants development.
The electric light resembles sunlight
in it's composition more than does any
other artificial light. 1t is the COM
mon 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. It is gen.
orally believed, therefore, that they
need rest, just as animals need rest
for the building up of the tissues worn
out during the day. Professor Bailey,
however, does not believe that plants
need rest in the same sense that ami
mails do. Plants have simply acquired
the habit Of gathering nourishment
and using it at different times, because
nature has divided the day into light
and darkness, and because it is better
to make hay while the sun shines, y
and to use it at night when there is
nothing else to do. There appears to
Professor Bailey to be no reason why
plants cannot grow in full light. In
the arctic regions, where the year is
divided into one long day and one long
night, plants grow continuously, as
conditions require. Now, if electric
light enables plants to acquire stimu-
lation during the night and does not
interfere with growth, it will cause
them to grow to greater size.
Artificial light is found to produce
much the same effect upon plants as
does sunlight, only in smaller degree.
If a ray from an electric arc light be
thrown through prism it will sepa-
rate into various colors, as will a ray
of sunlight The are light contains
more violet rays than sunlight, but
has less orange rays, which latter are
very valuable to plants. BY using an
amber globe over the arc light, there
fore, its rays become more like sun
light. Professor Bailey has expert
mented both with a naked arc light
and with one covered with a globe.