The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-10-01
MAKES PLANTS GROW.
A New Use Found for the Flee
trio Current.
IT IS APPLIED TO THE BOOTS.
Currents Passed Through the Ground
Hasten the Harvest and In
crease the Yield.
New York Tribune

Though Il mas long been known that at
n1ospneric electricity plays an important
part fn the stimulation or fege2anie
growth. heretofore no practical Use has
been made Of the kn5gie9ge. Some French
scientists have for some time been max
Ing experiments 20 learn the exact eHeet
of electricity or plants. and the fesui1s
eeem 70 indicate that a most valuable ala
10 agriculture mas been discovered
The agricultural experiment stations Ia
tbs country are nOw testing several df-
ferent systems 81 eiectrocfIture. One q
these Is 10 furnish electricity direct 10
the roots Of the plants ana the SOIL N
which they grow by means 81 a dynamo
Another H. r1e distribution Of atm9spnef-
&C. electricity BIZ similar Hnethod Tests
are also being made with arc nights %
light up fields NJ night.
At the government experiment station
a. Amherst. Mass. tw0 ploss Of ground
are used b. which - compare the plants
grown naturally with those treated by
electricity one Of the gardens IS IN a
natural state and the other Is surround
ed with a timber frame upon which are
mounted porcelain insulatOFs, From each
snsulator is stretched copper wire, which
runs under the earth az a depth Of about
fwo incbea The wire Is continuous Gil
around me garden, and leads into an ad-
5acent building containing the dynamo.
When the dynamo is working current Of
electricity ~ kept flowing through the soil
by means OF the wires ramlfying IN all
directions under the surface.
The electric garden mas been found 20
bear more heavily than the natural one.
while all the seeds sprouted and plants
blossomed earlier. Some plants Cd me 70
maturity earlier than others. but al were
stimulated more or less by the electric
current. Electrical machines are too ex-
pensive. however. for a farmer. and
though all right In theory are too costly
in practice. Moreover. the attendance OF
an expert electrician Is required 10 keep
the dynamo In running order.
The new invention recently made IN
France is much cheaper. and apparently
very effective. 1t Is called the geomag-
netifere, and makes use OF the electricity
always present in the atmosphere. II con-
sists OF an ordinary pole some forty or
nifty feet In height. surmounted by a
chevaux de frise of copper spikes, which
act as a collector OF the electricity in
the air The collector Is insulated from
the pole by a porcelain knob and con
meets with a copper wire lalsO insulated
from the polel, which transmits the cur
rent 10 a network Of Wires laid under
the soil ar a depth Of about six feet.
These wires are made or galvanized iron,
and their cost Is Insignificant Fly the
use Of this apparatus the production of
plot OF ground has been increased - per
cent. The grapes from vineyards in
which the gcomagnetifere IL used are
richer in sugar and alcohol than ordinary
grapes When stimulated In this way
flowers have stronger perfume. besides
coming TO maturity In a shorter time The
action OF apparatus using atmospheric
electricity Is not so powerful as that from
dynamo but the effect on vegetation
appears 10 he more even. Experiments
with batteries were not 50 successful. ow-
ing to the difference in the resistance Of
fhe soil In various places,
When seeds are treated with tho power
tui current OF Ruhmkorff coil the yield
r. far greater than ordinarily. Peas. beans
and corn grow with astonishing swiftness
and even date stones have been made TO
terminate. n most unusual thing TO hap
pen I'm cold climate. The development
of the rows Of plants In an electric garden
Is very even In character. except when the
batteries are used. In this case the crop
varies in character according as one par
ticular section receives more or less of
The electric current.
At tho Ithaca. n. y. experimental sta
tion plants have been subjected 90 the
action Of the electric light at night BY
this means the growth OF the plant pro-
ceeds both by day and night Artificial
light produces the same effect on plants
a. does sunlight. only in a lesser degree.
An amber~coored globe is placed over the
light. because the orange rays are more
valuable 20 vegetation than the others
Plants In a greenhouse Illuminated hy
light al night were found 10 mature much
earlier than In a greenhouse lighted only
by the san. The nearer the plants are
10 the light the faster their growth
u was noticed that the arc light had a
curious attraction for some plants These
would be found each morning 10 lean to-
ward IL at an angle Of IS degrees Dur
inE the dav they would stTaighten IN
but a. night they would again bend to-
ward the light
The continued liant Gay and night caus-
al tho color Of flowers 90 her0rlc deepe~
and richer In . few DAYS. however they
lost their intensity 90 color. az the same
time blossomlnE more profuscly. In TN,
case 81 vioietr - was found that tho CON
tinuous light made them bloom i1 three
weeks. whlle those oniy receiving sunlight
DID not hfar "a bad for ttYe wrecks
II would seem that fho electric current
10 likely 80 he more cff3csrioua than the
system - continuously keeping thr plants
tn bright light Ey th. former method
ths growth ~ the plant Is stimulated Dur
tng working houfs. 80 10 speak. while iH
the latter case fhe ulaut is kept CROWNS
cay and night without any intervals ~
rest The exact chemical action which
Tho electric current has upon fruits and
Vegetable mas uot yet been determines
y Is only Csrtata thar su. % nctlon takes
llara Sumr hol3 that - acts Nt aittnA
THO plants g" iniil8te tt.c .4fnfe ur nitro.
sfu If tfr atulgsI hs.fr- v.tt.'. othet- fhlrk
That il fsr0rs FEC assimilation ef certain
mineral salts fu fHe sa1
Al thc rtve.rt tlY q e4s...,.e f,.t farmer
has q De eomtfh.nr ~ 4 chemist ava ~
lookR as " hc woul3 hatv h. t.ta c3ae-
iriciau