New-York tribune., 1907-06-02

with the Durham College Of Science In Germany
near Breslau. and in Sweden. at Aividaberg, where
he grew many plants under electrical treatment
The results remarkable. Thus strawoerrles
in electrified fields showed increase of from 50
to 128 per cent over those grown in normal
fields. Corn showed increase of from 80 10
10 per cent potatoes 20 per cent bees, % per cent
and And since in many Of these cases the
treatment tentative and varied for expert
mental purposes. the results will be largely inn
proved when only the most satisfactory method is
employed. In fact Professor Lemstrom believes
that under this treatment may safely reckon
upon average increase Of 40 per cent over the
normal for all crops grown on land OF ordinary fer
tlity.
The method Of applying electricity is as follows:
wire net is first stretched the field little
above the surface; this net IS then connected with
electrical machine stationed in a shed or build
ing without the field and the current raverses the
net. AS the seeds sprout and the little plants be-
gin to grow the net must be raised.
count must it touch the plants; bur the raising need
only be done once twice during the summer.
but In all matters such as TINS the mundane ana
first question asked by practical farmer is "WilI
II pay?" Or will the cost of the apparatus swamp
this inquiry Professor Lemstrom asserts that he
French men of science working at elcctroculture
have been largely deVoting teir energies to tTyns
could be done a practically unlimited source at
periments show that the idea is feasible. For in
stance. by setting up geomagnetfere-practi ctically
a lightning conductor-in the centre of a field and
connecting It with network OF wires running
through the soil OF the field increase of 80
cent was secured in a potato crop. while an even
greater percentage Of improvement showed in to-
matoes, peas and other plants experimental upon.
In fact, we may conclude that on Ali counts elec-
tricty stimulates growth and development in the
Another development in recent plant growing Is
known radiOculture and is curious and some
What sensati9nal It consists in growing plants IN
clear
greenhouses In II Is red. in another green,
every case the the glass absolutely pure
series Of experiments on 5, these lines was first RS
Camille Flammarion and they proved We G suggestive
plant (SIimosa pudica( choosing This plant because
Of it's peculiar sensitveness. and divided them
an nt0 oTnary IGHr he P Pesd IN
blue house, third in green house and a fourth
fsPs ana % tbe ne should be the same in each
case, he awaited eventualities. At the end OF a
few months he made an exact comparison between
house the little plants were practically just he
had put them; they were alive and well, but they
velopment IN any way; Like the Sleeping Beauty
the day they went into bueness and remained un-
changed in trance. In the green glass house
energy In growing, than their contem-
poraries in the ordinary glass house, but on the
factory for, though tall. they inclined to be
weedy and poor But in the red house tn there hc1 w9
positive giants, and well nourshed and well de-
Veloped ones, too. They fifteen times big
as their sleeping fellows in the blue house. and
four times a big the normal control plants.
The last development of modern plant growing
that 1t is proposed of here is also the most
recent and It, in its turn, differs from the preced
ing ones have discussed 1t consists in forcing
plants by the Of anastheucs, a truly remarks
able procedure first put forward by DR. Johannsen
OF Copenhagen, Mt the beginning of this century,
and since then amplihed by other botanists par
ticulariy French ones. The plants TO be. treated
are placed in very dry state on q bed Of cry
sand in box capable OF being Theoretically sealed
Under the cover of the box IS suspended a small
vessel into which ether IS poured through q hole
the top which hole is Immediately closed AS
the ether evaporates the heavy vapor descends 10
the bottom OF the box and envelops the plants
lying there. After some forty-eight hours the
plants are taken out and placed in a cool house
and treated usual. The result is that the buds
and flowers at once begin TO sprout far more rap
idly than those of unanRsthetcized plants do and
finer than usual. Thus after being etherized
lflacs had abundant flowers and leaves, and were
quite decorative plants in thirteen days, while
lilacs under normal treatment only had a few
flowers and leaves at all at the end seventeen
days. AZaleas Hlies-of-the-valley. deutzias sDi-
rea and other plants experimental on all showed
wonderful powers of early development after being
under the influence OF ether. One OF the leading
German hortculturists, hearing OF DIR. Johannsen's
experiment, went specially to Denmark to see
them, and his verdict was: Il am now convinced
that your discovery for the forcing of flowers and
shrubs is of great Importance practical orI-
culture."-Fortnightly Review.