The Washington times., 1912-11-21
ELECTRIC FARM IS
LATESTEXPER|MENT
OF UNCLE SAMUEL
Wheat Field in Potomac Bot
. toms Is Being Tested
/ on New Plan.

The first experiment in electrical
farming, fully equipped with the latest
and most approved apparatus, has just
peen put In complete, operation at the
governmental experimental station. In
the Potomac bottoms, across the river.
Just at the foot of Arlington Heights.
The experiment Is in charge Of DR..
Briggs, who Is experimenting the re-
searches into the secrets Of Dame Ma
ture that Uncle Sam conducts at this
station. Earlier in the year there were
some tentative experiments made in this
line by the experts of the Agricultural
Department, but, owing to lack Ct
Improved apparatus, they were not pur-
sued to nnal tests.
About SIX Neehs ago, however, Dr.
Briggs obtained from Europe the latest
form OF apparatus and this has been
installed upon the experimental field
given over to this research at the Gov
ernment farm. The apparatus was OBJ
talned throught Sir Oliver Lodge. the
noted Enshsn scientist, VINO mas IN
terested himself deeply in this matter
OF electric farming and who has OBJ
tained results that lead our American
experts to a spirit of generous rivalry.
The appliances with which our en-
Kineers OF Uncle Sam are making their
researches into the secrets Of Dame
Nature consist, to the eye of the lay
man, of series Of electric poles, set
about fifty feet apart along the bound
aries of two-acre field. At height
OF sixteen feet there are heavy elec-
.r." wires stretched from one pole to
e' across the field. Then. In be-
3 ~, tom one to another of these
ID. " W saB. IRE strung small wires.
10 90 1tsr NHing network over
rraaI& rugR No the trellis OF
D.. DE 4,r'' as. .",n.' .' the tract
u. ar' .. .. .'.' H.I...r. ,.r tool
shea .sl.. 3. ..t..ls .aH we
anyone - rn n... T, q
There are ....r ...l''..'"r .
tubes and bulb 2 n...H -,... ...
all the enginery .-"
uninitiated II was Ii 'nf.
tempt to understand It.
From large central stat, o.. .
tricity is conducted into this >. '
house. and there 1t Is taken up ~
the specific apparatus and dissent
mated through the wires which
stretch across end interlace over the
ground being treated.
The field. which is now planted In
winter. wheat. will be treated
throughout the coming winter. The
treatment commenced a few days
ago, 1t consists in turning on the
current for certain time at morn
Ing and evening The, wheat Is now
about two inches high, which Is
about the normal height for winter
wheat to grow. 1t then stands at
that height throughout the winter.
What the effect of the electric treat
ment viii have remains to he seen.
AS the experiments have Just begun
there Is nothing that can be authori-
tatively reported as yet. The expert
ments made earlier in the year were not
of suffc' emily complete nature to war.
rant a formal report, nor was the ap.
paratuS OF type to Justify n report
upon It's action. The present appliances.
however. which were obtained directly
from the most advanced experts on the
subject pronsie to give results that, &C.
cording to the officials in charge, will
not only be gratifying to them but will
open up a field in agricultural work
never dreamed of before in American
farming