The record-union., 1895-09-21
ELECTRICITY'S new FIELD.
Growth OF Plants Greatly Stimulated
by 1t.
Currents Passed Through the Ground
Hasten the Harvest and In
crease the Yield.

Though it has long been known that
atm ospheric electricity plays an import
ant part in the stimulation of vegetable
growth, hitherto no practical use has
been made of the knowledge. Some
French scientists have for some time
been making experiments to learn the
exact effect of electricity on plants, and
the results seem to indicate that most
valuable aid to agriculture has been dis
covered.
The agricultural experiment stations in
this country are now testing several
different systems of electroculture. one
Of these is to furnish electricity direct to
the roots of the plants and the soil IN
which they grow by means Of dynamo.
Another is the distribution of atmos-
pheric electricity by similar methods.
Tests are also being made with arc lights
to light up fields at night
At the Government experiment station
at Amherst, Mass, two plots of ground
are used by which to compare the plants
grown naturally with those treated by
electricity. One of the gardens IS In
natural state and the other is surrounded
with a timber frame upon which are
mounted porcelain insulatOrs. From
each insu iatior is stretched copper wire
which runs under the earth at depth Of
about two inches. The wire is continu-
Gus all around the garden, and leads into
an adjacent building containing the
dynamo. When the dynamo is working
q current of electricity Is kept flowing
through the soil by means OF the wires
ramiiying in ali directions under the sur
face.
The electric garden has been found to
bear more heavily than the natural one,
while all the seeds Sprouted and plants
blossomed earlier. Some plants came to
maturity earlier than others, but all were
stimulated more or less by the electric
current. Electrical machines are TOO eX-
peasive, however, for u farmer, and
though all right in theory are too costly
in practice. Moreover, the attendance of
an expert electrician is required to keep
the dynamo IN running Oruer.
The new invention recently made in
France is much cheaper, and apparently
very effective. 1t Is called the geonag
netitere. and makes use OF the electricity
always present IN the atmosphere. 1t
consists of all ordinary pole some forty
or fifty feet in hight, surmOunted by a
cheyaux de fri5e or copper spikes, which
act as q collector of the electricity IN the
air. The collector is insulated from the
with copper wire (also insulated fro IN
the pole which transmits the current TO
a network of wires laid under the soil q
a depth OF about six feet. These wires
are made of galvanized iron, ana their
cost Is insignificant. by the use of this
apparatus the production OF plot of
ground has been increased 90 per cent.
I The grapes from vineyards in which the
geOmagnetifere is used are richer in sugar
and alcohol than ordinary grapes. W hen
stimulated in this way flowers have
stronger perfume, besides coming TO ma
uurity in shorter time. The action OF
apparatus using atmospheric electricity
is not so powerful as that from dynamo,
but the effect on the vegetation appears
to be more even. Experiments with bat
teries were not so successful, owing to
the difference in tho resistance OF the soil
III various places.
When seeds are treated with the pow
erful current OF a Ruhmkorff coil the
yield is far greater than ordinarily.
Peas, beans and corn grew with astonish-
ing swiftness, and even date stones have
been made TO germinate, most unusual
thing to happen IN cold climate. The
development of the rows of plants in an
electric garden is very even in character,
except when batteries are used. In this
case the crop varies in character accord
ing as one particular section receives
At the Ithaca, y. y, experimental sta
ton plants have been subjected to tho
action OF the electric light at night. By
this means the growth Of the plant pro-
ceeds both by day aad night. Artificial
light produces the same effect on plants
as docs sunlight, only in lesser degree.
a n amber-coIOred globe Is placed over
the light, because the orange rays are
more valuable 10 vegetation than tho
others. Plants In greenhou use illumiu-
ated by sunlight during the day and by
an arc light at night were found to ma
ture much earlier than in a greenhouse
lighted only by The sun. The nearer the
plants are TO the light the faster their
growth.
1t was noticed that the arc light had
curious attraction for some plants. These
would be found each morning to lean to-
ward it at an angle of 10 degrees. Dur
ing the day they would straighten up,
but at night they would again bend to-
ward the light.
The continued light day and night
caused the color of flowers to become
deeper and richer IN Il few days, how
ever, they lost their intensity OF color,
at the same time bIossoming more pro-
tusely. In the case of yiolets it was
found that the continuous light made
them bloom III three weeks, while those
only receiving sunlight did not bear
bud for five weeks.
1t would seem that the electric cur
rent is likely to be more etficacious than
the system of continuously keeping the
plants in a bright light. BY the former
method the growth of the plant is stimu-
lated during working hours, so TO speak,
while in the latter case the plant is kept
growing day and night without any in
tervals of rest. The exact chemical ac-
ton which the electric current has upon
fruits and vegetables has not yet been
determined. 1t is only certain that such
action takes places. Some hold that it
acts by aiding the plants to assimlate
the azote or nitrogen of the atmosphere,
while others think that it favors the
assimilation of certain mineral salts in
the SOIL At the present day success
ful farmer has to be something of a
chemist, and it looks as if he would
have to turn electrician.-New York
World.