The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1910-12-15
ASSIST CROP YIELD
Sir Oliver Lodges Plan Of UtiIiz.
ing Electricity.
Says Small Dynamo Attached to Farm
Will Work Wonders in Increas-
Ing output-Practical Auxil-
larry of Husbandry.

London.-In spite of the obstinate
conversation Of the average farmer,
much has been done to carry out Sir
Oliver Lodges plan of utilizing cleo.
tricity for reinforcing the fertility Of
plants.
Weighed as a business proposition,
Sir Oliver Lodges system has justified
Itself, and what vas tentative and ex.
perimental is now being taken up on
commercial lines as a practical auxil.
larry Of husbandry.
Lionel Lodge, who has control Of
this department Of Sir divers work,
has explained the developments of the
last year or two and the hope they at.
ford of further progress.
"Have you ever noticed what q re-
markable impulse is given to the
growth Of crops by a thunderstorm"
asked Mr.. Lodge: THAT is the effect
Of the strongly charged atmosphere,
and our object is to supply a similar
stimulus systematically.
"The growth and development Of
plants in the arctic regions compares
favorably with that in southern coun.
tries, and yet their summer is very
short, and the suns rays have to travel
in such an oblique direction that much
Of their heating power is lost. Why
Is it, therefore, that the plants flour.
lsh? The explanation lies in the strong
electrical currents which are passing
from the air to the earth, the effect OF
which can be seen in the Aurora Bore
ais.
1.-THE electric current can be gener.
ated either by a small dynamo or from
the nearest supply company's mains,
and by means of a transformer it ia
raised to the high pressure required
(about 100000 volts). The current
from the transformer is more or less
alternating; that is, it is not a steady
current in M direction, but oscilla-
ting first in one direction and then in
the opposite. For convenience we call
the current in one direction positive
and in the other negative. 1t is the
positive current that we discharge
from the network of wires above the
plants. Under special conditions-as
where there is an excess of natural
electricity-it might be advisable to
use the negative, but alternating cur
rent would be of no use.
ITO sort out the positive and mega
tive currents from the transformer
valves specially invented for the pur.
pose by Sir Oliver are used. Work.
ing exactly like the valves in an ordi.
nary pump, they allow the current to
flow in one direction only, and pre-
vent its getting back; they thus store
the electricity in the field network
from which it fixes off to the plants
below.
'This field network consists of fine
iron wire, the wires being spread
about ten yards apart and eighteen
feet or so above the ground. The
wires are so fine that 1t Is difficult to
see them even when standing immedi.
ately below them.
1.-THE action that the electrical dis
charge has on the plants, Sir Oliver
suggests, may be considered as arti.
fetal sunshine, and as in nc way ta-
king the place of fertilizer. The richer
the soil the larger the increase that
may be expected. With more plants,
on average soil, the electrified area
may be expected to yield 80 per cent
more than the non-electrified. If a
higher increase than this is obtained
we consider the results good and II
lower poor. On rich soil very much
boro l>o- o1+oirn1
The power required is quite small
and many of the installations at pres
ent working are in unskilled hands"