The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1901-12-07
NOT A COMMERCIAL SUCCESS.
Grown in Artificial Light Are
aFailure.

he valuable scientific experiments IN
stimulating influence OF artificial light.
produced by the electric light, have faile1
OF commercial realization. Undoubtedly
increased plant growth resulted, but the
advantage even in the carly maturing
Of hot-house vegetable crops did no.
prove allurlng to the practical trucks.er
In series of experiments extending
have been duplicated by the ue of in
candesccnt gas lights. Nothing could
more completely prove the effectiveness
Of the stimulation on the plant growtho
Of lettuce, radishcs, spinach, tomatoes,
sugar bcets and seeding cabbage than
these investigations. In the experiments
upon lettuce alone II crops were under
observation, embracing in all 10000
plants, in which the effect of the light
under different conditions was tried IN
all possible combinations. The Lights
throughout the experiments were alter
ed in positions from time to time in or
der 20 overcome, or counteract, the pos
sible influence Of local temprature; and
differences of light 1t was found that
transplanting the young plant' from
pots and using an artificial light on'y
during the period the plants occupied
the permanent greenhouse bench was thc
most successful method of forcing let
tuce OH a commercial scale. In general
it was found, as in the case Of the use
Of arc lights, that the plants inaturc1
earlier and bore heavier foliage or fruit
when exposed to the stimulating influ-
enoc OF the artificial light For instance
400 lettuce plants stimulated by artificial
light for 46 nights, weighed o8 Il
pounds, while 400 similar plants grown
under normal conditions weighed only
20 1-2 pounds, gain of nearly 50 per
cent.
Radishes showed the influence Of the
light i1 a slightly increased size Of tn:
roots and heavier top growth. Spinach
proved the crop must susceptible to the
influence of tie hight light, and plants
even eight feet distant from the burner
showed plainly the effects. In the case
Of tomatoes the stimulation showed it.
self in the earlier blossoming OF th~
plants. which took place from eight to
ten days earlier than under ordinary
conditions. The weight of the ind,
v;dual fruits was larger although is
total weight was not; that is to :ay,
there were fewer but heavier fruits.
Sugar beet tops were larger and i
is asserted there was observed an in
crease in the percentage of the sugar
content and IN the purity of the bees
grown under the artificial gaslight
1t is interesting to note the periods Of
maximum growth in the plants under TIE
artificial light. and with the usual day
lighting. With the artificial light the
hours Of greatest growth were from II
.. m. to a. m. while under ordinar.
conditions this growth was attained dur
ing the intervals between 4 a. m and II
a. m.
The stimulating influence ranges from
r. to I6 feet though its effects are per-
ceptible even at "a feet.
There appears to be no probability Of
immediate practical application Of the
facts here disclosed. but the poss:hilit.
exists that with CHEAPER methods of Dro-
ducing light. or the discovery OF a
method of economically producing in
greater abundance those rays which are
re- ponsibe for the increased growth and
qu;ckening of maturity. al! hot house
forcing will be accomplished by the aid
Of artificial night lighting.