Extensive experiments in electro-culture were also made at Pskov, 

 Russia. Plots of earth were sown to rye, corn, oats, barley, peas, 

 clover and flax ; around these respective plots were placed insulating 

 rods, on the top of which were crown shaped collectors — the latter 

 connected by means of wires. Atmospheric electricity was thus col- 

 lected above the see- Is and the latter matured in a highly electrified 

 atmosphere ; the plots were submitted to identical conditions and the 

 experiments were carried on for five years. The results showed a 

 considerable increase in the yield of seed and straw, the ripening was 

 more rapid and the barley ripened nearly two weeks earlier with elec- 

 tro-culture. Potatoes grown by the latter method were seldom dis- 

 eased, only to 5 per cent, against 10 to 40 per cent, by ordinary 

 culture. 



Grandeau at the School of Forestry at Nancy found by experiment 

 that the electrical tension always existing between the upper air and 

 soil stimulated growth. He found plants protected from the influence 

 were less vigorous than those subject to it. 



Macagno, also believing that the passage of electricity from air 

 through the vine to earth would stimulate growth, selected a certain 

 number of vines, all of the same variety and all in the same condition 

 of health and development. Sixteen vines were submitted to experi- 

 ment and sixteen were left to natural influences. In the ends of the 

 vines under treatment, pointed platinum wires were inserted, to which 

 were attached copper wires, leading to the tops of tall poles near the 

 vines ; at the base of these same vines other platinum wires were 

 inserted and connected by copper wires with the soil. At the close 

 of the experiment, which began April 15, and lasted till September 

 16, the wood, leaves and fruit of both sets of vines were submitted 

 to careful analysis with the following results : 



Without conductor. With conductor. 



Moisture per cent., 78.21 79.84 



Sugar, 16.86 18.41 



Tartaric acid, 0.880 0.791 



Bitartrate of potash, 0.180 0.186 



Thus we see that the percentage of moisture and sugar is greater 

 and the undesirable acid lower in those vines subject to electrical 

 influences than in those left to natural conditions. There are also 

 experiments which prove the beneficial eflTects of electricity on vines 

 attacked by Phylloxera. 



The following experiments were made at this station : Several 

 plots were prepared in the greenhouse, all of which had the same 

 kind of soil and were subjected to like influences and conditions. 

 Frames in the form of a parallelogram, about three feet by two feet, 

 were put together ; across the narrow way were run copper wires in 

 series of from four to nine strands, each series separated by a space 



