From the time eleotricity became a science, much research has 

 been made to determine its effect, if any, upon plant growth. Tlie 

 earlier investigations gave, in many cases, contradictory results. 

 Whether this was due to a lack of knowledge of the science on the 

 part of the one performing the experiments, or some defect in the 

 technical applications, we are not prepared to say ; but this we do 

 know, that such men as Jolabert, NoUet, Mainbray and other emi- 

 nent physicists affirmed that electricity favored the germiuation of 

 seeds and accelerated the growth of plants, while on the other hand, 

 Ingenhouse, Sylvestre and other savants, denied the existence of 

 this electric influence. The heated controversies and animated dis- 

 cussions attending the opposing theories stimulated more careful and 

 thorough investigations, which established beyond a doubt that elec- 

 tricity had a beueficial effect on vegetation. Sir Huuiphrey Davy, 

 Humboldt, WoUaston and Becquerel occupied themselves with the 

 theoretical side of the question ; but it was not till after 1845 that 

 practical electro-culture was undertaken. Williamson suggested the 

 use of gigantic electro-static machines, but th'e attempts were fruit- 

 less. The methods most generally adopted in experiments consisted 

 of two metallic plates — one of copper and one of zinc — placed in the 

 soil and connected by a wire. Sheppard employed the method in 

 England in 1846 and Forster used the same in Scotland. In the year 

 1847 Hubeck in Germany surrounded a field with a network of wires. 

 Sheppard's experiments showed that electricity increased the return 

 from root crops, while grass perished near the electrodes, and plants 

 developed without the use of electricity were inferior to those grown 

 under its influence. Hubeck came to the conclusion that seeds ger- 

 minated more rapidly and buckwheat gave larger returns ; in all other 

 cases the electric-current produced no result. Prof. Fife in England 

 and Otto von Ende in Germany carried on experiments at the same 

 time, but with negative results, and these scientists advised the com- 

 plete abandonment of applying electricity to agriculture. After some 

 years had elapsed Fichtner began a series of experiments in the 

 same direction. He employed a battery, the two wires of which were 

 placed in the soil parallel to each other. Between the wires were 

 planted peas, grass and barley, and in every case the crop showed an 

 increase of from thirteen to tvrenty-seven per cent, when compared 

 with ordinary methods of cultivation. 



Fischer of Waldheim, believing atmospheric electricity to aid much 

 in the growth and development of plants, made the following tests : 



He placed metallic supports to the number of about sixty around 

 each hectare (2.47 acres) of loam ; these supports were provided at 



