Missouri Botanical 
Garden Bulletin 
Vol. VI St. Louis, Mo., October, 1918 No. 8 
EFFECT OF ELECTRICITY ON PLANTS 
The relation that exists between electrical stimulation 
and plant growth has been a subject of many experiments 
of varied range, resulting in conflicting and contradictory 
conclusions. Investigations have been carried on for over 
150 years, since it was first supposed that electricity, which 
manifests itself so universally in nature, would be capable 
of plant stimulation under certain conditions. It has been 
shown by Elfving, Brunchorst, etc., that roots are susceptible 
to the influence of galvanic currents. Through the experi- 
ments of Kunkel it has also been proved that electric cur- 
rents exist in plants and that differences in potential 
(Haake) are caused by metabolism and respiration. 
The greatest attention was at first centered upon the in- 
fluence of current electricity on plants. In 1746, Main- 
bray, Nollet, and Jallabert tried the effects of electric cur- 
rents upon fruit trees and seeds with marked stimulative 
results. Vigor and germinative powers were found to be 
considerably increased by the experiments of Boze, Menon, 
De Lacepede, Marat, etc., but Gardini, Sylvestre, Paets, and 
several others secured negative results with overhead elec- 
tric wires. While Humboldt believed that electricity ex- 
erted considerable influence on plant growth, de Candolle 
concluded that its effect was negligible. In 1844 Forster’s 
experiments with barley and Ross’s experiments with pota- 
toes by means of galvanic culture showed such promise as 
to arouse considerable interest. On the other hand, very 
careful extensive investigations of Wollny upon rye, beans, 
potatoes, beets, etc. showed negative results. 
Lemstrém obtained favorable results with static electricity 
in a large number of cases, suspending wire meshes over 
plants and connecting the former with the positive pole, the 
negative pole being connected with the ground. Due to the 
eareful methods ig Ce as well as the extended period 
of experimentation, his results are deemed trustworthy. He 
demonstrated that strong charges were unfavorable, and 
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