Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1909-07-15
ELECTRICITY FOR CROPS
What Scientists Can Now Do
With the Stimulant.
Electric Lights Now Forcing Plants
70 Work Double Timc--I:lcctric
Shocixs Also Efricncious In MAX
ting Them Grow in n Hurry.
(rom the Manchester Gunrdian.)


Residents In q manufacturing city who
are familiar with a varied uses OF cleo
tricity are likely to follow with attention
what Is being done in the direction OF APP
plying electricity to crops The subject Is
interesting not only because Of what may
come Of system OF applying artificial
sunshine to plants, but because in the
development OF that system this coun-
try has taken a conspicuous part. The
Swedish professor book on Electricity
IN Agriculture and horticulture" tho only
existing work on the subject, has been
published in English only: the most prac-
teal experiments have been made in
England; and what is being done IN Ger
many is apparently under the direction
or tho English electrical engineer who
has conducted the experiments OF Eve
sham and in Glouccstcrshlrc Certain
Croakcrs may also note that Germany
has had TO send to England for four sets
of apparatus. have recently had the
advantage OF discussing the question Of
the electrincation of crops with Sir oliver
Lodge. who for some years In contunc-
ton with his son, Mr.. Lionel Lodge, has
given practical attention to II. and also
with Mr.. ]. e. Newman, the young cleo
tr'cal engineer who has been responsible
tor "hat has been done at Evcshan and
Bitton, who has Just put In an nstalla-
lon Tor an enterprising land owner in
scotland, and on the dav on which I
wli'e mas started for Germany to look
into the progress that is being made
there with the equipment that he ha.
supplied
The late Mr.. Thwnite conducted Soma
experiments In applying electric light to
plants. the idea being to make the,n
work double shifts. What Mr.. Newman
is doing. with the assistance OF Sir ol,vor
Lodge. In coping with some electrical
problems is to give plants electric shocks
from overhead wires. Prof Harvey Glib
son OF Liverpool has shown that the mar,
sunlight PLAYS In enabling the leaves Of
pants to store carbon from the air With
the assistance Of chorophyll in the
ieaVes, Is indirect. Its effect as Sir OIL
yer says may be to produce electric cur
rents which act on the sap and make II
asslmhahle. BY applying electricity IT,
self We may be doing directly what the
sun Is doing indirectly. I~,mstrom found
that the way in which Arctic electricity
takes tho place Of sunshine is the cause
OF the fine crops and rich develoDmcnt
OF flowers In the far North It is certain
iy noteworthy that the application of
electricity TO the crops at Evesham has
been most valuable on dull days The
quantity Of electricity supplied in the pro-
cess OF elcctTifying crops is quite small.
and Sir Oliver inagines that II may bene-
NJ pants ny KIND OF electric massage.
AZ Is improbable that the electricity
"orhs us Hanurlng agency although
there ma! De slight fxation of atmos-
pheTic nitrogen. Sir Oliver Lodge would
hKc 10 see some experiments carried on
IN greenhouse that does not admit any
OF the suns Tays-and believe Mr..
Fnesty Is working In this direction. Sir
oiiver ls impressed by the fact that. from
an economical point of view, there Is
n'nch moro hope of helping plants by
means OF electrical discharges than by
nshtins then UP at night with electric
light. But he also recognizes the limits
OF eiectrification 1T has It's place" he
says: our electrhcation may have the
erect OF giving the plants n kind Of tonic,
ana as " We're improving their digestion
but we have always to remember that
the plant must be fed: massage won't do
instead OF food
have just received details OF the ex-
periinents which are to be made In Scot
)and at Balmakewan on the land OF Mr.
william Low. the head OF an engineering
nrm' rive helds-one each OF barley
OATS potatoes, first years grass. apd
second years grass-hnve been set apart
ana hair or the crops IN these fields, thai
's. some . acres of land. are to be cleo
tricaly treated, while the remainder o
the plots Will he unelectrlhed. AS th'
farm is already in possession Of cleo
tricty the cost OF the equipment to Mr.
Low VIII not be more than f2Oo. Com
pleto records weather and electric. vii
De Kept, and the agricultural side OF thu
experiments Will be carefully overlooked
by PROFESSOR Gre'g OF the Aberdeen Col
Iege OF Agriculture, These Scottish ex
periments Will be on larger scale thai
those carried on at Eevsham on the farm
OF Mr.. Bomford-who. by the way, Is tn
son OF the man on whose farm the frs
steam ploughns was done. The cleo
tricity Is conveyed In tho ordinary wa
by wire to shed In the fields. BY mean