138 



GERMINATION 



number. Upon removal from the pots the roots of No. 2 

 were seen to be dense (completely hiding the soil). Those 

 of No. 1 were fine white hairs, not covering five per cent, 

 of the soil area. 



Here also we have some evidence of abnormal growth, 

 due to over-stimulation. 



The effect of electrical stimulation upon Tomato plants 

 after the fruit had formed, was to cause the fruit to ripen 

 prematurely and even to burst. 



I then took a Potato in process of germination with a 

 view to ascertaining the effect of electrical acceleration of 

 growth with a comparatively high electro-motive force 

 and connected it by means of two steel needles, with a 

 pair of Leclanche cells (3 volts). 



^/^i?-J 



first perforating it to the depth of |-inch at a, in order to 

 get diffusion as the nearest approach to a pre-cancerous 

 condition of inflammation I could think of. 



A week later the shoots became fibroid in character and 

 the whole tuber was seen to be shrinking. 



Twenty days after the connection had been made I cut 

 the tuber in halves. The shoots were quite shrivelled 

 and fibroid and the tuber presented the following internal 

 appearance : 



