An Improved Method of and Means for Promoting the Growth of Plant Life.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 20th May, 1891
Complete Specification Left, 19th Mar., 1892-Accepted, 14th May, 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Method of and Means for Promoting the Growth of
Plant Life.
ROBERT HENELADE COURTENAY of 17 Blondel Street Battersea Park Road
in the County of Surrey Telephonic Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
This invention has for its object a method of imparting or transmitting air to
the roots of plants by means hereunder described.
Boxes pots frames or pits of any size or form or houses specially built on the
principle herein described may be used for the purpose of increasing the supply of
air to the roots of plants of any desired temperature.
As a remedy for insufficient acration to the roots of plants I employ what
may be termed a double holder or receptacle to contain the compost and the
plant.
The double holder forms an air space which air space is filled with preferably
carbonized cocoanut fibre, or wood dust mixed with a small percentage of turf or
other light substance, the object of the use of carbon in any form for this purpose
being to absorb oxygen from the atmosphere or from other means when artificially
produced.
I will now describe the method of applying the principle in the most simple
forms.
I
may take two pots or boxes one being larger than the other the smaller pot
or box is perforated all round three fourths of its length and at the bottom to which
is affixed three studs. The small pot or box is placed inside the larger one which
is also perforated but only at the bottom and round the pot or box an inch from
the bottom. The outer pot or box may be ornamental and may be glazed or
unglazed with studs at the bottom to allow free access of air.
The pot or box inside the holder may be substituted by sheet perforated zinc or
other suitable. metal or substance formed to the shape of the outside holder
or receptacle the perforated zinc holder may be employed in conjunction with a
plate of carbon embeded in the compost as a mild galvanic cell to further stimulate
the growth of the plants and also as a protective agent against some insect pests.
Provision is made to increase the temperature of the air entering horticultural
buildings on this principle by any of the well known means of heating by arranging
hot pipes in the air spaces between the holders of the compost and plants and in
which is the carbonaceous compound described before, and also to supply horti-
cultural buildings with warm oxygenated air during cold weather or extremely low
temperature by generating oxygen from any well known process and imparting or
transmitting the oxygen to the air spaces between the holders of the compost and
plants as hereinbefore described.
Dated this 20th day of May 1891.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Method of and Means for Promoting the Growth of
Plant Life.
ROBERT HENELADE COURTENAY, 6 Pennsbury Terrace Clapham, in the County
of Surrey, Telephonic Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention has for its object, a method of imparting, or transmitting air to
the roots of plants, by means hereunder described.
Boxes, pots, frames, or pits, of any size or form or houses specially built on the
principle herein described may be used for the purpose of increasing the supply of
air to the roots of plants, of any desired temperature.
As a remedy for insufficient aeration to the roots of plants, I employ what may
be termed a double holder or receptacle to contain the compost and the plant.
The double holder forms an air space, which air space is filled with preferably
carbonized cocoanut fibre or wood dust, mixed with a small percentage of turf, or
bruised bones, or other light substances, the object of the use of carbon for this
purpose, being to absorb oxygen from the atmosphere, or from other means when
artificially produced, in which case to promote the growth of plant life the oxygen
will be improved by passing the gas through substances of a nitrogenous nature in
lieu of the ordinary washing or purifying apparatus.
I will now describe the method of applying the principle in the most simple
forms, I may take two pots or boxes, one being larger than the other, the smaller
pot or box is perforated all round three fourths of its depth, and at the bottom, to
which is affixed three studs.
The smaller pot or box is placed inside the larger one, which is also perforated
but only at the bottom, and round the pot or box, an inch from the bottom. The
outer pot or box may be ornamental, and may be glazed or unglazed, with studs
at the bottom to allow free access of air. The pot, or box inside the holder may
be substituted by sheet perforated zinc or other suitable metal, or substance,
formed to the shape of the outside holder or receptacle.
The perforated zine holder may be employed in conjunction with a plate of
carbon or a rod of zinc may be substituted for the perforated zinc when the inner
pot is of earthenware or the inside perforated pot may be made of carbon, or if a
slab or plate of carbon is embedded in the compost in either case a mild current
of electricity will be generated and will further stimulate the growth of trees or
plants and also act as a protective agent against some insect pests. The galvanic
elements used in the areo electric pots and boxes may also be used to connect the
pots or boxes with secondary induced currents of electricity or from any source of
electric supply. Provision is made to increase the temperature of the air entering
horticultural buildings on this principle by any of the well known means of heating
by arranging hot pipes in the air spaces between the holders of the compost and
plants and in which is the carbonaceous compound described before, and also to
supply horticultural buildings with warm oxygenated air during cold weather or
extremely low temperature by generating oxygen by any well known process and
imparting or transmitting the oxygen to the air spaces between the holders of the
compost and plants as herein before described.
In the accompanying drawings
Fig. 1 represents the outer and inner pots in this case the inner one A being
made of earthenware and perforated three fourths of its depth as shown in Fig. 4
the outer pot B being perforated to one inch more or less round the bottom the figure
also showing two of the three studs or feet to allow free access of air as before
described Fig. 5 showing the bottom of outer pot. In this case of an earthenware
inner pot being used the carbon element Fig. 7. and the zinc element Fig. 8 are

page_text: inserted in the compost at opposite sides of the pot thereby generating a mild
current of electricity.
Fig. 2 shows the same arrangement with the inner pot made of perforated zinc.
In this case only the carbon element is inserted in the compost the inner pot itself
forming the other element as in Fig. 3.
Fig. 6 shows the same arrangement as Fig. 3 only in box form, its bottom also
being perforated as Fig. 5.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is.
1. A combination of aeration and electrification for horticultural purposes
substantially as described and shown in Figs. 1 to 8, with a metalic perforated
holder as part of the aero pots or boxes to be used or any form of electric conductor
used in combination with aero electric pots or boxes which forms one of the
galvanic elements for producing mild galvanic currents in connection with carbon
or any other electro negative substances which may be used in the double holders
as herein described also that the same elements may be used as electrodes to receive
secondary induced currents from any electric generator for the purpose herein
set forth.
2. The use of two perforated pots or boxes placed one inside the other with or
without the use of electrical elements.
Dated this 19th day of March 1892.
ROBT. HENELADE COURTENAY.