ELECTRICITY. 189 



Beside garden A was prepared another plot of the same dimensions, 

 having the same kind of soil and treated in lilse manner as the first, but 

 the electrical apparatus and wires were wanting. At the close of the ex- 

 periments only three plants had partially developed and two of these 

 were nearly destroyed by mildew, one only was free from disease. The 

 results, therefore, show that the healthiest and largest plants grew in 

 the electric plot. The experiment was repeated with like results. 



Everything considered, the results in these two trials were in favor of 

 electricity. Those plants subjected to the greatest electrical influence 

 were hardier, healthier, larger, had better color and were much less af- 

 fected by mildew than the others. Experiments were made with various 

 grasses but no marked results were obtained. 



ELECTRICAL EXPERI3IEXTS AT THE MINNESOTA EXPERIMENT STATION 



IN 1892. 



These were commenced Feb. 15th and concluded April 14th. Two plots 

 side by side, each 3x3 feet, were selected in the greenhouse. One was 

 treated with electricity, the other without. The electricity was ap 

 plied under the rows of plants by a wire covered one inch deep. Sow- 

 ings were made of lettuce, radish, wheat, oats, corn and beans on Feb. 

 15th. At the end of each row for a space of six inches the seed was sown 

 directly on the wire, but this contact with the electric wire did not pro- 

 duce any apparent effect in lessening the time required for the seed to 

 germinate, nor did the plants grow any stronger where brought in con- 

 tact with the wire. Seeds of same kinds germinated at practically the 

 same time in each plot, except corn and beans, which were about three 

 days behind in that not treated. 



Radishes. — There was no difference in the growth of this crop in the 

 two plots. 



Lettuce.— No difference— if anything, that not electrified did the best. 



"Wheat and oats. — In this case the results were largely in favor of the 

 electrified row, it being 30 inches high, which was six inches higher than 

 the other, and rather more healthy. 



Beans.— Those electrified matured edible pods, while the others only 

 got into blossom when the experiment was finished. 



Corn. — That electrified grew very healthy and strong and 52 inches 

 high, the other only 32 inches high. 



Temperature of the different plots varied from 2 to 5 degrees during the 

 experiment, sometimes in favor of one and again in favor of the other, 

 but the average was about 2 degrees higher for the electrified than for 

 the other. 



Two cells were used for each wire and 36 pounds of sulphate of copper 

 was used up during the two months the experiment was in progress. 



The roots seemed to run regardless of the copper wires. Results were 

 not conclusive and may be attributed to the difference in temperature, 

 although a very slight increase in growth of a few kinds seemed due to 

 electricity. 



In February, seed of corn, beans, barley, wheat, oats, radish and lettuce 

 were moistened over night and were then treated with six Bunson cells 

 through an inductive coil and sown along side of part of the same lot of 

 seed not treated. No results could be seen which could be attributed to 

 the use of electricity. 



