Improvements in or relating to the Growth of Plants and the Destruction of Microbes, Phylloxera, and the like.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application (in the United Kingdom), 2nd Jan., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 2nd Jan., 1896-Accepted, 31st Oct., 1396
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to the Growth of Plants and the
Destruction of Microbes, Phylloxera, and the like.
I, JEAN FUCHS of Portoferrario (Island of Elba) in the Kingdom of Italy,
Vineyard Owner and Merchant, 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 :-
The present invention has for its object a process for the destruction of phylloxera
or other noxious microbes. This process consists substantially in leading an electric
current through the plants. This current can be an alternating multiphase or
continuous one, and when led through the plants for a short time, say, three to six
times in a season for an hour at a time, destroys the microbes on the plants, whether
they be on the stems, leaves, fruits or roots. But this process is especially important
by reason of its power to radically destroy phylloxera. The trials have shown
that vines affected by phylloxera for two years, after the treatment according
to the present process not only recovered, but also became extraordinarily
fruitful.
The current may be supplied by any source of electricity.
The application of the process is effected for example in the following
manner;-
Should it be required to treat ten vines at the same time, a battery of fifty
elements connected in series must be employed. One pole of the source of
electricity is connected with an iron rod, which is stuck into the earth in a
suitable place two or three meters deep, according to the humidity of the place.
With the other pole are connected the insulated wires leading to the separate
plants. These wires are bare at the ends and lead into the sappy layers of the
plants at a height of about thirty to fifty centimeters from the ground. The
electric current passes then from one pole of the battery through the insulated
conductors to the sappy layers of the plant, from thence to the roots and comes
out in the earth, through which it returns to the iron rod and passes through the
return wires to the other pole of the battery. So the circuit is closed and can
exercise the intended action on the plants.
After an hour's time the wires are removed from the plants and the circuit
broken.
It is advisable to electrify a certain number of plants, say ten, at the same time;
for which purpose, suitable needles or metallic points are stuck into the stems and
the end of each needle is connected with a long insulated wire by means of binding
screws and all the wires are connected to the end of the main conductor, as shown
in the accompanying drawing. When the stem of the plant is not hard, but still

page_text: full of sap on the surface, instead of using needles, the bared ends of insulated
wires can be wound round the stem. If it is desired to use a wire, altogether
uninsulated, for shorter conductors, then care must be taken that they should not
come in contact with other objects on the way because then the current would be
taken off, there would be no effect produced on the plants, and the battery would
suffer damage. It is of no importance as regards its effect upon the current
whether the iron rod be near or far off from the plants. If the rod is in a very
dry place, then a hole of about 1 meter diameter is digged round the rod and filled
with water about an hour before using the apparatus.
The seeds of plants can be treated by means of an electric current in a similar
mauner to that described, in order to increase their germinating power.
For that purpose electrodes of carbon are used, like those employed for electric
are lights or for galvanic elements. The arrangement is as follows,
On the bottom of a bath, made of porcelain, glass, stoneware or other suitable
non-metallic substance is placed a layer of rods or plates of carbon, which are
electrically connected by means of uninsulated copper wire. With the latter is
connected by binding screws one wire from the battery, then plant seeds previously
well wetted are placed on the carbon layer, and on the top is placed a second plate
of carben, which is connected with the other wire from the battery. The wire from
the battery and the binding screws are insulated at the place of connection with
the carbon by being covered with a coating or compound of tar or paraffin,
gum or the like, in order to allow the current to be transmitted only through the
carbon.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is
1. A process for assisting the growth of plants, and the destruction of microbes,
phylloxera and the like, consisting in subjecting plants to the action of an electric
current.
2. In a process such as claimed in Claim 1 connecting one pole of a source
of electricity with the earth, and the other with the sappy layers of a plant by
inserting needles into the plant or by winding round it uninsulated wire substantially
as described.
3. An apparatus for carrying out a process such as claimed in Claims 1 and 2
comprising a source of electricity one pole of which is connected to the earth the
other pole being connected to the separate plants, as described.
Dated this 21st day of December 1895.
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.