THE ELECTROCULTURE OF CROPS 



By INGVAR JORGENSEN, Cand. Phil. (Copenhagen), D.I.C., 

 Late Research Worker under the Board of Agriculture and Fisheries, 



AND 



WALTER STILES, M.A. (Cambridge), 



Lecturer in Botany, University, Leeds 



" The electrification of growing vegetables was first begun in 

 Britain. Mr. Maimbray at Edinburgh electrified two myrtle 

 trees during the whole month of October 1 746, when they put 

 forth small branches and blossoms sooner than other shrubs 

 of the same kind which had not been electrified. Mr. Nollet, 

 hearing of this experiment, was encouraged to try it himself." 



This quotation from Joseph Priestley's History and Present 

 State of Electricity, published in 1 767, records the simple experi- 

 ment which formed the introduction of the subject of electro- 

 culture, and which was soon to be followed by numerous other 

 experiments, which were repeated again and again at intervals, 

 and are still being repeated in our time. 



The subject is one the development of which through its 

 various phases is particularly interesting to follow, not because 

 of the achievements of the investigators therein, but on account 

 of the light that is thrown on the factors making for success or 

 failure in the solution of scientific problems. 



It is instructive in the light of our present knowledge to 

 take a survey of the field of investigation as it is presented by 

 the works of Priestley and his contemporaries, who worked and 

 wrote when experimental science was still in its infancy. It 

 is interesting to note the variety of observations made by these 

 " philosophers " who were engaged in this preliminary survey 

 of natural phenomena. To us who live in an age of specialisa- 

 tion in study this method of attack may appear strange and 

 wasteful, but it is rather astonishing to realise the acuteness of 

 the observational powers of these philosophers, by whose efforts 

 were thus collected a large number of elementary observations, 



many of which formed the nucleus for enormous development. 



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