TALKS WITH PRACTICAL IRRI GATORS. 



173 



FARM GOSSIP. 



ELECTRICITY AND VEGETATION. 



Hop growing in California, Oregon and Washing- 

 ton has proven to be a lucrative industry and the 

 aggregate yield of the three states is large. The 

 Pacific coast hops command a good figure generally, 

 but some experienced growers believe the crop is 

 often harvested too early. A prominent grower in 

 Washington writes to a local paper that the highest 

 success in hop growing is gained only when all the 

 conditions are properly observed. He alleges that 

 though a crop may have been properly planted and 

 diligently tended throughout, if not picked at the 

 right period of maturity a great falling off in quality 

 and price is almost sure to result. This grower 

 alleges that, generally speaking, the picking is begun 

 too early and before the plant is fully matured. He 

 cites his own experience in corroboration of his views. 

 He finds that by picking about ten days later than 

 usual fully 30 per cent, in weight is gained, and, also, 

 a considerable percentage in quality. The following 

 suggestions regarding the proper time to pick hops 

 may prove of value : 



" It is the mass of hops that should show ripeness, 

 not selections alone here and there. There is more 

 intrinsic value developed in the last few days in the 

 life of a hop upon the vine than in a month's previous 

 preparation for the fruitage. 



" Ripe hops will be well closed at the points; will 

 be harsh to the touch and solid, not flimsy and soft ; 

 will be of a rich golden color, or will have a strong 

 tinge in that direction. Of course, the seed will be 

 solid and thoroughly mature, though many of these 

 can be found in a yard where the mass of hops is 

 unfit to be picked." 



THE potato crop of the United States during the 

 past two years has not been equal to the home con- 

 sumption, though our. wheat and cattle crops have 

 been enormously in excess of demand at reasonable 

 prices either at home or abroad. In 1891 the largest 

 crop of potatoes ever grown yielded 240,000,000 bush- 

 els, while that of last year was 150,000,000 bushels, 

 and that of the present year somewhat less. 



OVER $1,000,000 is sent out of the State of Wash- 

 ington every year for dairy products. This in the 

 face of the fact that we have in all parts of the State 

 unexcelled ranges, pasture lands and all kinds of 

 grasses for feed. Butter always brings from 20 to 30 

 cents a pound, while in the East 10 to 20 cents will 

 buy the best. Which brings the most profit: wheat 

 at 40 cents a bushel or butter at 25 cents a pound? 

 Will some rancher please answer? Tekoa Globe. 



IN the agricultural schools and colleges of Europe 

 forestry is made an important study. With us it re- 

 ceives almost no attention at all. 



The Latter May be Influenced to a Great Degree 

 by this Power. 



This formed the subject of a most interesting and 

 instructive lecture which was delivered in the Horti- 

 cultural Hall, Boston, recently by Professor L. H. 

 Bailey, of Cornell University, before the members of 

 the Massachusetts Horticultural society. Professor 

 Bailey said among other things: The electrical 

 forces which influence vegetation are of two general 

 types the electric light, which is simply a method of 

 illumination, and electric currents, which are a means 

 of electrification. We may feel sure that illumina- 

 tion at night will not injure the plant, and as it has 

 long been proved that artificial lights exert much the 

 same influence upon plants as the sunlight does, only 

 in a smaller degree, we shall expect that good results 

 will follow in proportion as the energy of the arti- 

 ficial light approaches the energy of the solar light. 



The electric light commends itself above other ar- 

 tificial lights because it is the most powerful. The 

 spectrum of this light is that of carbon combined 

 probably with certain products of combustion. It 

 contains the same parts as the solar spectrum and in 

 approximately the same proportions; but it is richer 

 in the ultra-violet rays, and probably somewhat 

 weaker in the orange rays. It is pretty well ascer- 

 tained that the orange portion of the solar spectrum 

 is particularly promotive of the assimilative power in 

 plants. This fact suggests that the use of an orange 

 globe for the electric light would bring its spectrum 

 nearer to that of sunlight. 



EFFECT OF AMBER GLASS. 



Our experiments with color screens show that an 

 amber glass, the nearest approach to orange in com- 

 mercial glass, gave more rapid growth or earlier re- 

 sults than other colors; but it is doubtful whether the 

 assimilative power of the ordinany electric light is 

 sufficient to render minor modifications of the visible 

 portions of its spectrum practically appreciable in 

 plant growth. 



If the electric light, therefore, is similar to sunlight 

 in essential effects upon plants, it remains for us to 

 discover two things : Does the light contain injurious 

 properties along with illumination ? Are all plants 

 equally susceptible to its influence ? 



I may say in reply to these questions that from the 

 results of experiments tried by me it appears that 

 plants exposed too closely to the electric light are 

 injured, while at a proper distance the same kinds of 

 plants receive more or less benefit. The question 

 whether all plants are equally susceptible to its influ- 

 ence I answer in the negative, after experiments with 

 endive, spinach, cress, peas, carrots, lettuce and 

 other plants. Upon the first four the effect varied, 

 while upon carrots it seemed to be wholly injurious. 



