THE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY OF NEW YORK 



degree of refrigeration may be obtained for seed freezing work ; 

 in other dungeons equipped with batteries of 25,000 watt electric 

 lamps and with the other conditions of humidity, temperature, 

 etc. equally under control, plants may be grown in artificial light 

 of any desired intensity up to about one-third maximum noonday 

 sunlight. And here, in order to offset the relatively great heat in- 

 duced by the use of such powerful lights, is found a remarkable 

 arrangement of "water screens" through which the light must 

 pass, and which are varied as to thickness and temperature so as 

 to insure uniform conditions whatever the degree of lighting pro- 

 vided! Similarly in the greenhouse range: while all the houses 

 are of the most modern construction, some of them are to be 

 equipped with powerful electric lights that "daylight conditions" 

 may be augmented ; others, as already noted, will be provided with 

 carbon dioxide distributors for stimulation purposes ; while a final 

 group, in which it is desired to grow plants in light from which 

 certain spectral rays (such as the ultra-violet) have been removed, 

 will be glazed with special, scientifically prepared, colored glass, 

 and provided with a special system of artificial ventilation so that 

 no faintest ray of sunlight will be able to enter. Truly the Thomp- 

 son Institute laboratories seem to come as near providing control 

 of the life forces of the universe as we are likely to come on this 

 earth. 



To the scientific workers and agencies elsewhere in this country 

 and throughout the world the establishment of the Thompson In- 

 stitute means much, for it is the idea of Col. Thompson, Director 

 Crocker and the dual Boards of Directors that it shall cooperate 

 with them in every possible way. Thus, under suitable arrange- 

 ments, its exceptional facilities will be available for the use of the 

 experts of other organizations of research; leaders in the fields to 

 which it is to devote itself will be invited to make use of its ma- 

 terials and equipment in carrying out their studies of particular 

 problems ; and graduate students of special promise from the lead- 

 ing educational institutions will be given the almost priceless op- 

 portunity of extending their investigations, for a time or season, 

 under conditions not to be duplicated anywhere in the world. In 

 each case, of course, such an opportunity means much to the in- 



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