their summit with electrical accumulators in the form of crowns sur- 

 mounted with teeth ; these collectors were united by metallic connec- 

 tion. The result of this culture applied to cereals was to increase 

 the crop by half. 



The following experiment was also tried : Metallic plates sixty-five 

 centimeters by forty centimeters were placed in the soil. These 

 plates were alternately of zinc and copper and placed about thirty 

 meters apart, connected two and two, by a wire. The result was to 

 increase from twofold to fourfold the production of certain garden 

 plants. Mr. Fischer Siiys, that it is evidently proved that electricity 

 aids in the more complete breaking up of the soil constituents. 

 Finally he says ihat plants thus treated mature more quickly, are 

 almost always perfectly healthy and are not affected with fungoid 

 growth. 



Later, N. Specnew, inspired by the results arrived at by his pre- 

 decessors, was led to investigate the influence of electricity on plants 

 in every stage of their development ; the results of his experiments 

 were most satisfactory and of practical interest. He began by sub- 

 mitting different seeds to the action of an electric current and found 

 that their development was rendered more rapid and complete. He 

 experimented with the seeds of haricot beans, sunflowers, winter and 

 spring rye. Two lots, of twelve groups of one hundred and twenty 

 seeds each, were plunged into water until they swelled, and while 

 wet the seeds were introduced into long glass cylinders, open at both 

 ends. Copper discs were pressed against the seeds, the discs were 

 connected with the poles of an induction coil, the current was kept 

 on for one or two minutes and immediately afterwards the seeds were 

 sown. The temperature was kept from 45° to 50° Fahrenheit, and 

 the experiments repeated four times. The following table shows the 

 results : 



Peas. Beans. Barley. Sunflowers. 

 Days. Days. Days. Days. 



Electrified seeds developed in 2.5 3 2 8.5 



Non-electrified seeds developed in 4 6 5 15 



It was also observed that the plants coming from electrified seeds 

 were better developed, their leaves were much larger and their color 

 brighter than in those plants growing from non-electrified seeds. 

 The current did not affect the yield. 



At the Botanical Gardens at Kew. the following experiment was 

 tried : 



Large plates of zinc and copper (.445 meter and .712 meter) were 

 placed in the soil and connected by wires, so arranged that the cur- 

 rent passed through the ground ; the arraugemfnt was really a battery 

 of (zinc I earth | copper). This method was applied to pot herbs 

 and flowering plants and also to the growing of garden produce ; in 

 the latter case the result was a large crop and the vegetables grown 

 were of enormous size. 



