ORIGINAL COMMUNICATIONS. 



XI. — On the Injluence of Electricity on Vegetation. By Edward 

 Solly, F.R.S., F.L.S.," Hon. Memb. Royal Agricultural So- 

 ciety, Experimental Chemist to the Horticultural Society, etc. 

 [Communicated by order of the Chemical Committee, Dec. 1, 1845.] 



The powerful influence which Heat and Light exert on vege- 

 tation might naturally lead us to expect that Electricity, the 

 third great form of physical power, would also produce some 

 effect on the growth of plants, and play an important part in 

 the economy of vegetation. This idea has for the last hundred 

 years been a favourite one with naturalists, and many experi- 

 ments have from time to time been made with the view of 

 ascertaining its truth. The following pages contain brief 

 accounts of the most important of these investigations. 



Attention was first drawn to the influence of electricity on 

 growing plants about the middle of the last century, just before 

 the beautiful discoveries of Dr. Franklin proved the identity of 

 lightning with ordinary electricity of friction. Everything con- 

 nected with the effects of this extraordinary power was at that 

 time of great interest, the recent discovery of the Leyden jar 

 having attracted general attention ; and, accordingly, the effects 

 of electricity on vegetation were examined with eagerness by 

 electricians in all parts of Europe, and led to much animated 

 correspondence and discussion. 



The earliest experiments on the subject recorded appear to 

 be those of Dr. Maimbray, of Edinburgh, made in the autumn 

 of 1746 ; he electrified two myrtles during the whole month of 

 October, and found that they put forth small branches some 

 inches in length, and even came into blossom — an effect which 

 did not happen to other myrtles which were not electrified, and 

 he consequently attributed the phenomenon to the influence of 

 electricity. At this time M. I'Abbe Nollet, one of the most 

 distinguished of the French electricians, being occupied with ex- 

 periments as to the effect of electricity on the passage of fluids in 

 capillary tubes, and on the rate of evaporation from various organic 

 substances when under the influence of electricity, was struck 

 with the importance of Dr. Maimbray's experiments, and was 

 accordingly led to repeat them himself. In the preceding year 

 (1745), M. Boze, Professor of Physique at Wittemberg, had 

 observed * that water issuing from a vessel in minute drops 



* Memoires de I'Acade'mie des Sciences, 1745, pp. 119, 133. 

 VOL. I. -^ G 



