The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1915-03-03
The HA SKIN LETTER
Electrocultur III Food Supplies
81 FredericsJ. Haskin.

half inches in diameter and are about
three feet In length for vegetable gar
sdens and SIX feet for wheat ieadss8I
lis claimed that each rod acts upon an
area with q adiiis equal to the height
of the rod The increase in crops pro-
dnced by this method varies all the
way from thirty-seyen TO l25 per cent
and applies TO many varieties OF YeSe-l
tables and grains, although hemp
seems to show the greatest response.
Another eleetro-cultu method
consists OF applying direct electric
light to growing plants. and it is es-
pecially helpful IN greenhouses and to-
the market gardener. Under certain
conditions the effect OF Keeping the
plants exposed Of electric light al
night is the same as twenty four
hours OF daylight. Numerous expert
ments indicate that not only larger
tcrpp, and u superior quality Of pro-
duct is secured. but a gain OF a week
or. more in the time required TO ma
atllre the crop is made possible. This
last result is of especial importance
to the market gardener, who receives
the highest price for the articles first
placed upon the market.
Various forms OF electric lights arel
used for e1ectro-culture. At the West
Virginia experiment station it has late
sly been demonstrated that the Ordi-I
nary incandescent lights used for
lighting a house have a marked bene-l
fetal effect upon hot house plants
Lettuce SO treated natures earlier
and the heads are heavier and more
erect. Flowering plants blossom
sooner and the bowers last longer.
Strawberries ripen considerably ear
Tier and the fruit is sWeeter in flavor
and deeper in color. The strawberry
inches below the light each night
from the time they were in blossom
until the fruit ripened
The arc light in the green houses
must be used with great care, or its
effect may be Injurious rather than
beneficial. The mercury yapor 1ighti
has been found to be more generally
satisfactory. The various colors OIL
light rays may cause different effects.
Red rays have been found to stimulate
and bsuv rays to retardi
it. The retarding effect is often most
useful to the florist. "A valuable plant
about to blossom at an improbable
time may have its flowers retarded
some time by means OF the blue rays.
The value Of electro culture in in-
creasing the bread and vegetable sup
ply Of mankind has been more freely
realized in Europe than in the United
States, probably because Of the great
er need for foodstuffs there But it
was an American, Professor Silas.
Wentworth, of Los Gatos, Calf, who
demonstrated the value OF electricity
I'm animal husbandry He divided q
flock of 1900 sheep equally. One halt
of the flock was placed in a pasture
under network OF electrically.
charged wires such as are being used
in the United States experiment. sta
tions. The other half was Kept abso-
! luteay away from electrical in1uence.
| His report at the end OF a year
! showed that the wool of the sheep
upon the electrically treated pasture
was finer and nearly twice as heavy
as that OF the sheep in the other flock.
j The average production Of lambs upon
tine electrical pasture was a fraction
over two for each eve in the flock
while in the Other pasture it fell be-
| low one, and the weight Of wool upon
the ewes lin the latter mock was also
less. Whether the increase in WOOL
/ and lamb product is due to the fer
Itilizing effect which made the food
Of the field better or to the electrical
Influence acting directly upon the ami:
mails SO as to increase their vitality.
| has not yet been decided although
probably both elements entered into
the result 1t was also noted that the
meat OF the animals pastured upon
1Selectrica Is treated ground was SUI
perior both in flavor and quality.
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