1 76 MARKETS. 



tion ; from a larger consuming population, greater local demand ; 

 and so on until there is effected a gradual transfer of the sale 

 of the product from the external to the internal market, and ulti- 

 mately the balancing of production and consumption once more. 

 So the economic position which obtained before exportation 

 began is returned to, but there have l^een gained improved 

 methods, greater production and a larger population, and there- 

 fore a stronger State. 



(Read, July 6, 1917.) 



Electricity and Agriculture. — In the course 



of a paper on " Atmospheric Electricity" in the Quarterly Journal 

 of the Royal Meteorological Society * Lieut. C. D. Stewart, R.E.. 

 B.Sc, F.R.Met.S., refers to experiments recently undertaken by 

 Blackman and Jorgensen with a view to further investigation of 

 the i)OSsibility of atfecting the growth of crops b}- altering the 

 atmospheric electrical conditions. Two acres of ground were 

 used, one of which was under the influence of the electric dis- 

 charge, the second being left unelectrified. The former was elec- 

 tritied by 21 parallel wires, seven feet above ground and about 

 4j4 yards apart. The electric discharge was commenced a day 

 after the crop appeared above ground, and one month later the 

 plants receiving the discharge were deeper green in colour and 

 considerably taller than those in the unelectritied area. About six 

 weeks later the plants in the latter area averaged 20 inches in 

 height, while those in the electrified area were 12 inches higher. 

 Eventually the electrified acre yielded a crop of 2,6^^ lbs. of grain 

 and 4,924 of straw, while from the unelectrified area only 

 1,764 lbs. of grain and 2,619 lbs. of straw wre obtained. The 

 electric discharge, moreover, leaves a very pronounced residual 

 effect. During the season following the api)lication crops of 

 grass and clover on the previously electrified lands were found to 

 be much heavier than those on lands that had never had an electric 

 discharge. "Although the results are quite definite from the point 

 of view of the crop, nothing is known about the manner in which 

 the discharge acts. It is not even known with certainty what is 

 the most suitable strength of current to use. Why electricity 

 should aflfect the growth of the crops at all is still (|uite unknown." 



* ( 1917) 43, 409-43T. 



