The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1904-02-06
ELECTRICITY FOR THE GARDEN.

If results prove as gratifying to garden
ers in the next three years as they have
in the last three it will be only a matter
of time when electric gardening will be in
vogue Throughout the country
BY electric gardening is meant the en-
| livening of plants by means Of electric
currents coming from wires running I'M
derground.
w. w. Rawson, a prominent Boston
horticulturist, says that electrical gar
dening is as yet only in its infancy. The
system of giving life to plants through
electricity. in other words, is now in the
experimental state, and IS being tried out
at the centers of agricultural study in the
various states
Experiments are tried daily at Amherst
along these lines with good results Other
stations throughout New England have
run wires under their hothouses, and then
charged them with electricity, watching
the effect carefully.
The electricity acts as an invigorator to
the plant, but not as sterilizer
On the contrary, the use of steam, which
gardeners have practiced for five years or
more. sterilizes the soil, eliminating YER
min, fungus, and all foreign matter, at
the same time baking the soil
Steam cooks out and purifies the SOIL
while electricity simply acts as a bracing
tonic TO the plant, leaving all other condi-
tons the same as before.
Electricity has the same effect upon
plants as it has on an individual when he
takes an electric shock. 1t acts neither
negatively nor positively, but simply re-
freshes
Mr.. Rawson feels that when electric
gardening comes into every day practical
use, the system will be of inestimab bic
value not only to the horticuturists and
gardeners, but to the general public The
gardeners by the electric system will get
quicker and even better results than ma
ture can give, and the public in turn will
benefit by choicer flowers
But electric gardening. as it will be con-
Quoted decade hence. will not be COM
plete without the artificial lighting ar
ransement AS matter OF fact. arc lights
have been employed as a valuable Access
sorry to raising plants for four years, al
though not at the present time in gen.
eral use.
The arc lights are introduced solely for
lighting purposes, and not as many peo-
pie think. to aid in heating.
Mr. Rawson pointed out the fact that
very little heat emanates from an cleo
trio light, hence the gardeners cannot rely
for warmth from this source. The arc
light is utilized rather as a substitute for
the sun if it is not considered an insult
to Old Sol.
With the advent OF heating and enliven-
ing plants, possibly a little later accord
ing 10 Mr. Rawson, the introduction OF
the electric plough. electric harvesters,
electric hay rakes, and other farming i'm
PIGMENTS now worked by the horse
As yet. there are absolutely on electric
al ploughs in existence not even for ex-
perimental purposes. as far as can be as
certained. And it is not known that they
the in contemplation of manufacture at
the present time.
Mr. Rawson simply spoke as an expert
gardener, viewing the signs of the times.
predicting a big future for electricity in
the horticultural and agricultural spheres
Of industrial activity.-Boston Advertiser