Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-05-03

trocuIturist is a man who grows things
nv the aid of electric light lie makes
the light do duty as sunshine, ana as an
varieties of plants do twice as muCh
growing In the daytime, compareu WIN
the night, when they are supposed 10 80
10 sleep. ne keeps them awake Dy luIhIiis
on the electric light after sundown anu
forces them TO keep on growing eNei5
hour of the twenty-four.
Many people have enormously thought
that IL was necessary to the good heaiVi'
OF a plant for 1t TO sleep at night ine
electrocutuTist says this Is all oos'''
Plants. he claims, do not sleep rest
cuperate. or do anything Of that KIND az
,,Iaht ,Shev might Just az well keep
am growing at night as In the daytime
he argues. and, moreover, they accom-
,i,sh inst as much in less than ono haii
the time.
INVIGORATES THE ROOTS.
Not only does the electricity give theii
n kind of make-believe sunshine, ou' !.
also allows of reintroducuon OF cuileiI'
in the soil surrounding the plants lhNis
Grating the roots and forcing lhen 70
grow TO an unusual size. Inc use Oh '"e
electric current in this way mas W. W.
dIscreetly applied, the same enect upon
nlants that il has upon the human body
when the latter is afflicted with certain
forms of disease In the case OF pa
ralvtics electricity is applied, because II
s,imulates the nerves and muscles al
much the same way that hatuidi eAe'-
else does.
In cases where electricity has been APP
pled TO the soil. great care mas pee"
taken I'm the regulation or the cui ie"''
Electricity Is a mighty peculiar tni"s'
and its relation TO vegetable lie mas Dec"
found TO be quite similar to It's eilec's
unon the human body. For instance
strong current of electricity mas o0ei
used successfully for the removal ..
superfuous hair. while a mlld current
has been used eficaciously Tor the res
,oration of hair upon bald heads. In lls
,,sc with vegetable life a strong current
has heen found TO be deadly. Al Kills
the roots. or so stunts the growth oil
,ha nlapts as TO render them next TO use
,ess ON the other hand, mild cur
rent has been found 10 be most sunni
lating. -,
vegetable life can be said to have passed.
the experimental stage. although the hrst
experiment was made at comparatively
recent date. In many sections OF the
country scientists interested In all the
phases of agriculture and HORTICULTURE
are now conducting experiments, some
IN one way. and some In others, but all
with the use OF electricity.
Already a New Jersey farmer has taken
advantage of these scientific discoveries
and expects soon 10 be In position 10
raise eight or ten or a dozen crops u year
and compete actively with the growers
OF the far South who food the northern
markets with early fruits and vegetables
The Toms river flows through part OF his
farm. and he damned the water for the
purpose OF giving power TO small elec-
trlc plant built on the side OF the stream
This farmer soon had enough electricity
TO supply good-sized country town, but
unfortunately nothing OF the kind was
near. He imported several electric p'ows
from Vienna, each one capable OF cutting
six burrows at Time and motors were
rigged up 10 them 20 that they Would
turn over the surface soil at u very little
expense.
Ground wires and overhead wires ram
ify in all directions, connecting every
part OF toe 100 acres. while movable ca
bles make the work doubly easy. The
raaes and harrows, moving machines.
and reapers are all worked by electric
motorG which derive their electricity
either from the wires or the movable ca
bles. Fertilizers are spread over the farm
BY means OF motor farm wagons. The
Fertilizer II passed from the wagon 10
thick. cearss screen underneath which