Beverly banner. [volume] (Beverly, N.J.) 1877-1964, 1924-08-29
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Scientists of the United States De-
partment of Agriculture, by the use of
artificial light, have entirely upset ma
lures normal schedule. They have
taken old plants approaching death
and made them flower and fruit.
Flowers that bloom in the spring and
fall have been made to blossom In
midwinter. Dwarfs have been made
to grow into giants and vice versa.
Grains have been made to produce
several crops a year. One of the
photographs reproduced herewith shows
two yellow cosmos plants of the same
age; the little one was raised on an
eight-hour light day, while the big one
had fifteen hours of light. Says a
special press bulletin from Science
Service Washington. in part:
These startling upsets of natures
normal schedule suggests a wizardry
which challenged belief Yet Drs. w.
w. Garner H. A. Allard, and r. A.
Steinberg. who have actually performed
these seeming miracles, make no secret
of their method. They merely control
by the use of artificial light the length
of the days in which the plants grow
AT the new building of the National
Academy of Sciences in Washington,
the department has installed an exhibit
where the public can see the expert
ments in progress. Behind glass win
dows in a large metal cabinet flooded
with light from high-power electric
lamps, the responses of various plants
to different periods of illumination are
demonstrated by the growing plants
themselves.
This clearly demonstrates not only
that the length of the light period is
the chief factor in determining the
character of plant growth, but that
artificial light can be successfully sub
stituted for natural daylight.
When a single plant shows the char
acteristic growth of two different sea-
sons on separate branches the won
der widens. In these experiments. a
partition is placed between two
branches of the same short-day plant.
One side is exposed to a long day and
the other to q short period of day
light. The branch on the long-day
side continued to grow leaves and
branches characteristic of the youth of
the plant in nature. The branch on
the short-day side blossomed and
entered upon old age.
There is a practical application of
these discoveries. By the use of arti
fetal light related plants with diner
emit daylight periods may be made to
bloom at the same time, so that plant
breeders can cross them More impor-
tant still, the work of plant-hunters
who search distant lands for vege-
tables, and fruits which may be sue
cessfully grown In our country will be
made simpler and more certain. Lati-
tude determines the daylight period
and the similarity or difference in the
annual cycle of daylight may show
whether or not plants. are suitable for
Introduction in any given latitude.
Apparently 1t will not be long be-
fore most Of our dollhouse blossoms
and especially our Easter flowers
are grown under electric light Easter,
as everyone knows, is variable date.
And spring sunlight is an uncertain
quantity. And the florist must have
his blossoms ready exactly on time or
lose his market.
At any rate, the commercial prac-
ticability of forcing flowers and bring
ing them to bloom on schedule time.