THE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE OF AMERICA. 



71 



thus rendering; them more availahle. and, also, as noted 

 above, of causint; the combination of the elements of 

 nitric acid, yet at the present moment it does not appear 

 possible for any one to define with certainty how and 

 why electricity has a beneficient action upon growing 

 plants. But as it has been proved that electricity affects 

 the protoplasm of tlie i)lant. there is no doubt that it is 

 to the effect upon tlie ])rotoplasm that we must probably 

 look for the solution of the problem. Tlie eft'ect can be 

 seen in plants that show protoplasmic movements, such 

 as, for instance, the Chara, one of the families of the 

 Cryptogameous plants having no vascular tissue, by 

 which it has long been known that weak currents stim- 

 ulate protoplasm and induce accelerated movement ; 

 whereas strong currents retard or stoji such movements, 

 and if too stong, the protoplasm is killed. 



There is a good deal of interesting data being accu- 

 mulated concerning electrical influence upon plant 

 growth, but the question cannot be said to be yet out of 

 the experimental stage, although the advantages derived 

 from the direct application of electricity to vegetation 

 are unt|uestionable. 



The writer in the h'rench magazine aliove mentioned 

 concludes his article bv expressing amazement that in 

 view of the remarkable results produced, farmers and 

 gardeners do not universally adopt this treatment for 

 their crops, and he attributes their failure to do so purely 

 to ignorance. 



While there is no disputing the fact that the use of 

 electricity upon growing crops will produce beneficial ef- 

 fects in more than one direction, the universal adoption 

 of its use depends entirely upon its practicability, 

 whether the resulting increased crops will pay for the 

 increased expense. It is obvious for one thing that the 

 ordinary operation connected witli cultivation and har- 

 vesting would be greatly interfered with and rendered 

 more expensive in the case of a field studded by poles 

 and wires. In a garden where all operations are by hand, 

 the inconvenience would not be of any moment. In the 

 latter case the question to be answered by experiment is 

 whether the results will compensate for the trouble in 

 erecting the apparatus irrespective of cost, also whether 

 if this increased cost were put into extra plant food, 

 equal results would be produced without the attendant 

 trouble of fixing the poles and wires. 



It nuist be tmderstood that electricity supplies no plant 

 food, its effect appears to be in enabling a ]ilant to make 

 greater use of the food within its reach. 



The use of electric light in connection with ])lant 

 growth is in a far more advanced position. Its effect 

 has been investigated at, amongst other places, the agri- 

 cultural experimental stations of Concord, Miss., and 

 West Virginia, the arc light being used at the former, 

 and the incandescent at the latter. 



In the case of jjlants being grown luider the intluence 

 of this light, the effect seems to be produced through the 

 hastening antl prolonging the act of food assimilation 

 owing to the extention of, what practically amounts to, 

 the hours of sunlight, and the substitution of the light 

 for the sun in cloudy weather. A large number of spe- 

 cies of vegetables, flowering and foliage plants have been 

 experimented upon. In the experiments with the arc 

 light it was soon found that the naked light exerted an 

 injurious influence upon inany plants. This is believed 

 to be due to the presence of the ultra-violet rays, the 

 spectrum of the electric light being unlike that of sun- 

 light. A glass screen or ordinary globe was found to 

 cut out the injurious rays and to allow the beneficial 

 rays to pass through. By the use of the light the flower- 

 ing period of many species of plants was hastened, 

 Easter lilies being advanced as much as ten days. With 



vegetables the best results were olnained upon lettuce, 

 plants of which were a week or more in advance of those 

 in the unligiued house. The results with the use of the 

 incandescent light were to a great extent similar, but the 

 balance of evidence is in favor of the arc light. 



The practical utilization of the electric light upon a 

 commercial Iiasis is now an accomplished fact so far as 

 lettuce is concerned. In the New England lettuce houses, 

 especially in the neighborhood of Boston, a gain of time 

 is obtained during the winter season sufficient to enable 

 one more crop of lettuce to be grown in the same time 

 than where the light is not used. 



In the case of flowers the use of the light has not been 

 found to be commercially profitable, although the flower- 

 ing period was considerably hastened. In this connec- 

 tion it does not do to use the light too early in the life 

 of the plant, or flowers will a])pear before the plant is 

 strong enough to grow them to their proper size. 



Up to the present there have not been, so far as we are 

 aware, any experiments made of the use of this light in 

 the open air and one would not venture to foretell what 

 possibilities may e.xist in this direction. 



So far as the use of electricity itself to plant growth 

 is concerned it cannot be denied that there is evidence 

 enough to support a belief that in time to come it will 

 occui)\' as impiirtant a place in agriculture and horti- 

 culture as it (iocs today in other directions. 



PROPAGATING THE AUCUBA. 



If there is one evergreen shrub more prominent than 

 others as particularly adapted ior cultivation in confined 

 town and sul)urban gardens, it is the Aucuba. A native 

 of Japan, A. japonica in. growth, size and color of the 

 leaves is a very variable shrub. The numerous forms of 

 Aucuba have been given varietal names by nurserymen, 

 and it would not be difficult, should one wish it, to obtain 

 a collection of at least twenty named sorts. In habit the 

 plants vary from 2 feet to 10 feet in height. There is a 

 very marked difference in the size and coloring of the 

 leaves. Some growers prefer the large, shiny pale green 

 leaves beautifull_\- spotted with \ellow ; others choose the 

 rich, shiny green leaves, suggestive of the Laurel. In 

 some sorts the edges of the leaves are entire, while in 

 others they are elegantly toothed. 



Shade does not harm the .A,ucuba ; it will thrive under 

 tall trees as well as the Ivy. Such a good-natured plant is 

 the .\ucuba that, in addition to thriving in most positions, 

 it will also grow in nearly all soils. The .Vucuba makes a 

 beautiful and attractive lawn specimen ; it is also useful as 

 a screen, and an ideal subject for the shrubbery border. 



This jaiianese shrub is also interesting, there being two 

 sexes. The male and female flowers are borne on differ- 

 ent plants, not like most of our favorite .shrubs, both on 

 the same plant. In addition to its attractive foliage, the 

 female Auculia bears ornamental red berries larger than 

 those of the 1 lolly : but to get these one must grow Aucu- 

 bas of botli sexes, as the pollen from the flowers of the 

 male jilant is neces.sary to fertilize those of the female 

 otherwise no berries are produced. 



Proi:iagation from cuttings is the usual and (luickcit 

 means of increase. Quite large branches root readily in v. 

 close iirojiagating frame, preferably with a little bottom 

 heat. I'nder glass, .\ucuba cuttings may be inserted at 

 any time. In the open border October and November is 

 the best time to put in cuttings. In a moist propagating 

 frame the cuttings will root in any light material- - 

 sandy soil, fibre, leaf-mould or coarse sand. By in- 

 serting large shoots such good plants are available 

 for potting up in two months suitable for use at once 

 in a window bo.x. — Exchange. 



