Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-06-15
THE NEW AGRICULTURE.



From the london Tribune.
The open fields" IN to become a phrase
OF the past. The fields of the future will
which will radiate high-tension elec-
tricity through the crops beneath and
bring them to a fruitfulness such as thu
old-fashioned sunshine could not possibly
bestow,
Such, at any rate, is the potential OUT
come OF experiments which Mr.. J. l.
Newman, an electrical engineer. is car
rying out on farm at Iron Cross. mid
way between Evesham and Alcester.
twenty acres of arabic land belonging
to Messrs. r. and b. Bomford are travers-
ed. sixteen feet above the ground, by
wires suspended from poles placed at
intervals of a hundred yards. The wires
are insulated so completely that the cur
. .snI can md Its way to the ground only
through the air, and consequently
,nrough the crops. Unfortunately, there
ls on the farm no streamlet capable Of
generating an electric current and a
three-horsepower oil engine IL therefore
used for the purpose; IT drives n dynamo.
the current from which is converted to a
hiEh tension before transmission to tho
wires The engine is run for only a few
nours DAY, at intervals varying in
length according to the state of tho
weather and the amount of moisture IN
me SOIL when the ground is very dry
the current appears to be harmful rather
than beneficial. particularly I'm the case
OF peas, Deans and clover. when they have
once appeared above the surface
IweIve OF the acres included in the ex-
pertinent have been sown with wheat.
seven with barley, and there are small
piots or other crops. In the case OF almost
All OF them Mr.. Newman confidently ex-
pects That termination will be fastened
and the yield increased as a result of thu
discharge of electricity from the wires.
In the case of the wheat, he says. he will
De disappointed If the yield, both OF grain
ana or straw, be not twenty-five per cent
greater than IL would be otherwise, and ff
there be not also such an improvement In
the character of the grain will make II
equai FOR milling purposes to Canadiab
wheat.
These anticipations are to some extent
based on the results of experiments as to
the effects of electricity on vegetable
growth. which were carried out by the late
Prof. Lemstrom of Hesingfors University
In Germany and at Durham, ath also OF
previous experiments made by Mr. Newman
Jointly with the experiments In worces.
tershire. Mr.. Newman is prosecuting re-
searches at Bitton. near Bristol. Last year
he obtained very encouraging results from
the distribution of current over tomatoes
and cucumbers grown indoors. and catJ~
bages. peas. beans and strawberries grown
outside. Especially marked was the eri-
HANGED rapidity with which peas under the
influence of the current appeared aboys
ground as compared with those not so
stimulated.
In all previous experiments OF this kind,
however, low tension electricity has been
employed. and 1t is believed that the pres-
ent trials at Iron Cross are the first in
which a high-tension current derived from
dynamo has been made use of In this
way, In the unsuccessful experiments
made In Russia some years ago the current
was discharged direct into the soil.
The poles and wires at Iron Cross have
been fixed at such height to permit OF
steam plouging, and they give the fields
an extraordinary appearance. People stare
In amazement at what seems to be a tele-
graph system In a tangle. IL the nearest
rustic be Intercepted. the reply given with
a Knowing smile, is that Farmer Bonn
ford thinks he can grow wheat by 'lectric-
ity, and the experiment is regarded To-
cally as great joke.
That fact, however, by no means dis
turbs the equanimity of Mr.. Newman II
is. indeed, quite within the bounds of pos
sibility. given an adequate supply of eec-
tricity at sufficiently cheap rate that In
the not very distant future Great Britain
may once more be able TO produce the bulk
OF the wheat she consumes, and to find
employment for a much greater proportion
of her sons upon her own soil.