The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-05-26
From the New York World.


VigOr.
From the New York World.
1t has long been known that the cleo
tricity in the atmosphere plays an i'm
portant part in the stimulation of vege-
table growth, but hitherto no practical
use has been made of this knowledge.
The results recently obtained by some
French scientists who have been expert
menting with the effect of electricity on
plants indicate that most valuable AID
to agriculture has been discovered. a
plant deprived of atmospheric electricity
by covering it with a network of fine steel
wires soon withers away and dies when
artihcially stimulated by an electric cur
rent it blooms with far more vigor than IN
a normal condition.
With these data to work upon the ex-
permenters moistened seeds with water
and then subjected them to the inhu-
ence of an electric current. The seeds
thus treated grew with far more vigor
and came to maturity sooner than those
not so treated. They even succeeded IN
making date stones terminate, which Is
a very unusual thing to happen in France.
Peas, beans and maize grew with as
tonshing swftness when treated Win
the powerful current of Ruhmkorn con
and the yield was greater than ordlh-
airy. Experiments with batteries were not
so successful when the current was pass
ed through the earth, because of the dll-
ference in the resistance of the soil IN
various places to the passage of the cur
rent. The resulting crop was uneven III
character, according as one particular SCI
ton received more or less of the electIII
current. With the powerful electrical
machines much more satisfactory ae s,tnn.
wer obtained. Strawberries in parIlcu--
lar were ripened in a remarkably shorl
time.
Electrical machines are far too expen,,
sive, however, for a farmer to use anu
though all right in theory, they are TOO
costly in practice.
The new invention is called the geomag
netifere, and consists of an ordinary poIe
forty or fifty feet high, surmounted WIN
a cheval de frise of copper spikes, deslgheu
to act as a collector of atmosphere ere,
tricity. This collector is insulated IIo!n
the pole by porcelain knob and connects
with copper wire (also insulated from tl4o
pole) which transmits the current to me-
work of wires which are laid unde T,, ete
soil at a depth of about six feet. 1heSS9
wires are made of galvanized lroh' dHN
their cost is not large.
By the use of this apparatus the prouuC5
ton on a given area has been Increase
80 per cent. The grapes from vinegar
in which the geomagnetifere is used az az
richer in sugar and alcohol than ordinary
grapes. Flowers have a stronger peri ullS
also when stimulated in this manner
The exact chemical action which the cur
rent has upon fruits and vegetables ca
not be determined 1t is only certain ina.
such action takes place. Some hold ina ina
it acts by aiding the plants to assimilaIe
the azote of the atmosphere. while otne ~
think that it favors the assimilation "a
certain mineral salts in the soil.
The experiment can be tried on any lawr
o. flower bed so long as the pole is aNaS
rom the house. If too close IT acts a.. a3
lightning conductor, but without glVihs
any protection.
1t is estimated that a geomagnellleLS
sixty feet high will enrich the soil to tne
same degree as ten times its cost IN ma
nure. At the present time succeSsItl
farmer has 10 be something of chemist
and 1t now seems as though he will haVS
to be an electrician, too.