The new enterprise. (Madison, Fla.) 1901-1908, 1905-09-07

compatible with the climate. For IN
Arctic summer, though nlghtless,; i
very short, the sun is low, and its ray
are often intercepted by fog and clouds
so that 1t cannot furnish az amount o.
light and heat favorable to very rapit
1 growth. --'--.'--
The investiga tons of Professor Lem
stron, of Helsingfors, and others, tent
to Show that electricity exerts a grea'
Influence on the growth of plants, ant
this view is confirmed by the luxuriant
vegetation of the zone of action Of that
violent electrical manifestation, the au
rora borealis. Furthermore, close
connection has been found. in Finland
between fruitfulness and frequency OF
auroras. Finally. Lemstrom was led
to attribute to the sharp points OF
plants, such as the beard of grains
the function of lightning rods" which
collect atmospheric electricity and facil-
itate the exchange of the charges of
the air and the ground.
Thereupon he proceeded to submit
the suspected effect Of electricity upon
vegetable growth to the test of expert
ment, beginning in 1885 with a num-
Der of flower pots. containing similar
soil and seed. Some Of the pots were
subjected TO the action of an influence
or inductive Statical electric machine,
one pole of which was connected with
the soil in the pot, and the other with
q wire netting stretched over it. The
other pots were left to nature. The
electric machine was driven several
hours daily. Within a week the cleo
trified plants showed a more vigorous
growth than the others, and in eight
weeks the disparity in weight, of grain
and straw alike, amounted to forty per
cent. This favorable result suggested
4 field experiment with barley, in
which an increase of thirty-seven per
cent. was obtained by identification.
In the following year the experiments
were extended to various plants. The
results were contradictory in some re-
spects. and showed that the advantage
lerivable from electroculture depends
also upon other factors. such as TEN.
perature, moisture of air and soil,
and the natural fertility and the ma
nuring Of the latter. The supply of |
water proved to be of especial i'm. |
)ortance. Extensive experiments with
potatoes, carrots and celery showed |
Increases in crop of from thirty to |
seventy per cent. Potted strawberry |
plants. in the greenhouse. produced |
'lpe fruit, under electrical influence,
n half the usual time. Small differ
snces, possibly due to extraneous
'auses, appeared when the direction of |
he current was reversed. Other field
experiments gave increases of As, So,
occasionally So per cent. for grain, and
tobacco. fax, turnips and
'eas grew better without electrical
ion than with it:
Then Lemstrom, in order to test the
feet of climate on electro-culture.
his experiments from Fin
and to Burgundy, where he found his
arlier observations confirmed, partic-
larry in regard to the great influence
irrigation. He concluded that the
lore vigorous growth induced by cleo |
lefty must be sustained by rapid,
lgestion of food, shat is to say--a rich
III being presupposed-by an abun-
ant supply of water. With copious
altering peas, which in the earlier
Iperiments had reacted unfavorably
electrificatlon,. now showed q diff
renee of seventy-fye per cent. in
lvor Of the electrified plants, carrots
i've an increase of 125 per cent. and
lgar beets augmented their percent.
&c Of sugar by fifteen per cent. The
;perlments in Burgundy also con. !
med the Importance OF The character
the soil. The richer the soil, the
eater is the advantage of electrical :
Ilture, which is quito useless in very
'or ground. Hence, the Sahara can. |
It be converted into q garden by :
ectro-culture.
In 1883 Lemstron's experiments =
ased for time, but other investi.
tors attacked the problem from :,
ferent side, endeavoring to affect by ;,
ectrifcation, not the growing plant, | ),
It the seed. The Russian botanist, :.
echniew, submitted grain TO electri- !,
action, and thought that 1t sprouted :,
rlier and more vigorously than grain :,
SO treated. Pautens, who il 1894 y
'eatcd Spechniew's experiments on =
larger scale, came TO the conclusion -
1t electricity had no effect on dry y;
IDS, but that it promised excellent "
uits when applied in connection
tn moisture-which In itself pro-
ties termination. The same con- j
sion was reached by Kermey. who fe
1897 electrified grain 'strewn on II