Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-01-01
A Scheme to Force Vegetation With
Atmospheric Electricity.
EFFECT OF TIE AURORA BOREALIS
Why Plants Grow So Much Faster
in the North.
IMPORTANT EXPERIMENTS
Written for The Evening Star.

strom of the University of HelsingfOrs. The
experiments to be carried on have nothing
to do with the electric light or with the
running of electric wires through the soil
for the purpose of forcing the growth of
plants by direct current stimulation. They
are to be based on some pertinent observa-
tons made by Lemstrom of the effect Of
the aurora borealis on the plant growth of
the north.
1t is well-known fact that the plants of
the north arrive at maturity in a much
shorter period of time than those plants
which are grown further south. 1t is neces-
sary that these plants should arrive at ma
turity very quickly, inasmuch as the sum-
mer season In the north Is very brief, and
1t has always been looked upon as wise
provision of Providence that the plants
were enabled to accomplish their business
IN life Ia SO short space of time. Prof
Lemstrom, however, casting aside the
provident.a1 idea. states that the rapid
growth of plants in the far north Is due
directly to the light of the aurora borealis.
Light Is one Of the necessary natural
agents In promoting plant growth and the
efficacy of continuing the daylight by SUBJ
shutting in its place electric Light for the
purpose of increasing the number of grow
Ing hours Of plants has already been
proven. In addition to the fact that the
light of the aurora might tend to increase
the number of growing hours of the plants
VI tne nOTtn. LemStTOm contends that they
are also stimulated by the presence of the
large amount Of atmospheric electricity to
which. as 1t is contended, the presence of
the aurora is due.
Experiments Already Made.
Lemstrom, In furtherance of his ideas,
has been carrying on a series of expert
ments in which plants have been subjected
to atmospheric electricity. But these ex-
periments, while in measure thorough,
have not been carried out on a sufficiently
extended scale to warrant any large as
sumptions being made in the matter. 1t Is
Lemstrom idea that in conjunction with
Prof. Bailey. some very important work can
be carried on, and 1t is for this purpose
that Prof Bailey is making ready to pro-
coed to Finland.
If the plans of the two experimenters
are carried out in the manner which is
now contemplated. the result will be an
electric farm of decidedly picturesque
character 1t is proposed to erect line
of posts around this farm or field in which
the experiments are to be carried out From
post to post, through the air above the
ground. wires will be stretched and at
convenient distances along these wires.
small knobs or points will project. A static
current, such as produced by the Holtz
machine. will be sent over the wires, and
will be allowed to jump across the open
space between the wires from one point or
knob to another. A constant flow of cleo
tricity through the air will thus be ac-
complished. and the surrounding atmos-
phere will be. IN n measure. saturated with
the current. At least. this Is the Idea of
the eXperimenters; certainly at night the
scene should be very picturesque. The
tiny points of flame jumping from wire to
wire, from knob to knob, in n background
of darkness. ought to create a picture such
as might be thought to exist only In the
tabled farms Of fairyland Prof Bailey, in
speaking of the scheme, says:
A Practical Application.
Our contemplated experiments point to
the application of atmospheric electricity
to the growing of plants. Lemstrom and
myself have devised a scheme by which we
are to work In unison-some work to be
carried on In Finland and some to be car
ried on in America He has. recently sug-
gested that ] should go to Finland In order
to look over his experiments and to be bet
ter able to undertake them here. Lem
strom first led to consider this whole
subject by observing the influence of the
aurora on the atmosphere and plant grow
ing. and thought that the eectrficatiOn of
the atmosphere had great deal to do
with the growth In the arctic region. He
went to SpitZbergen for the purpose of In
vestigating the electrical phenomena and
the meteorology of plant growing.
Il have recently pointed out to the MEM
bers of the Massachusetts horticultural So
Ciety the great effect which atmospheric
electricity has on the growth Of plants.
Atmospheric electricity exerts a very
powerful influence upon vegetation. The
experiments of Grandeur were designed to
determine this point. Plants were grown
in the free atmosphere. which is always in
a greater or less state of electrlfication.
and also in wire cage from which the
atmospheric electricity was excluded. Maize
in the free air was In every way better
than the other not only In the bulk Of all
its parts. but in the amount of ash, and Of
both heterogeneous and non-nitrogenous mat
tiers. Grandeur found that plants deprived
of the influence of atmospheric electricity
have in the same length of time given 80
to 20 per cent less bulk, and 80 to 60 per
cent less fruit and seeds than plants sub
jected to normal conditions-that Is. those
to which atmospheric electricity had free
access. Cell. shortly afterward. reached
similar results. So did Leclerc. But by far
the best investigations upon the electrifi-
cation of the atmosphere in reference to
plant growing were those made in Fin
land and In France by Lemstrom, physicist
in the University of Helsingfors.
Rapid Growth.
'Lemstromr was first led to his inquiries
by observation upon vegetation and me-
,eorological phenomena In the high north.
particularly in Finnish Lapland and Spitz-
bergen, where he came to the conclusion
that much Of the rapidity Of vegetation
in the short summers Is due. to climatic
electricity. His first experiments were
II
were so promising that he at once turned
his attention to the field. He made an ex-
pertinent on q small field of barley in Fin
land. One portion of the field was covered
with small parallel wires a meter apart
and secured to porcelain insulators, which
we're secured to small posts on the mar
gin of the field. At intervals of a half me-
ter each wire was furnished with a metal
point from which the current could dis
charge into the atmosphere. These wires
were connected to the positive pole of a
four-disc Holtz machine. which supplied
the current. The current was supplied
from the middle of June to the first of Sep
TENDER. from @ to 10 o'clock in the morning
and from 8 to in the evening. The bar
| ley was well up when the experiment be-
? gan. The harvest showed that the electric
| plot was over 30 per cent ahead of the re-
mainder of the field. and the yield and
! quality of the grain was improved.
Having determined the good effects OF
atmospheric electricity in high ATTITUDES
Lemstrom now carried his experiments into
! France. Here he treated cereals, garden
vegetables and a variety of fruits. The
result was equally good in the warm coun-
| try. But although these experiments of
Lemstrom have shown that the applica ton
| of electricity to the atmosphere generally
| Influences plants profoundly and Is usually
Il