1891.] ESSAYS. 55 



caudle power each, but they could not furnish it, so 1 shall try 

 again next season. I ana very sure it will pay in two ways, — in 

 the time and in the quality. Hoping this will be satisfactory, I 

 am yours truly, 



W. W. RAWSON. 



I also wrote President Goodell, at the Hatch Experiment Sta- 

 tion, to ask whether they had made any experiments of growing 

 lettuce under electric light, or whether they had collected any 

 facts on that subject from other sources. I asked for the address 

 of any parties either in this country or Europe who had made the 

 experiment, if he was able to give them. 



Since writing this part of my essay I received the following 

 letter from Prof. Warner, the meteorologist of the Hatch Ex- 

 periment Station : — 



Amherst, Mass., Jan. 9, 1891. 

 Me. S. H. Record. 



Dear Sir. — President Goodell asks me to answer your favor of 

 some days ago. I am at present preparing an article on Electric 

 Culture, or Electricity in Agriculture, which I may publish in 

 bulletin form later. The experiment of which you speak has 

 been tried in Europe and also at Cornell University. I have 

 also studied the effect of electric light on plant growth. Tlie 

 experiment in Europe was in favor of the electricity. At 

 Cornell, I understand, the plants grew very rapidly, the foliage 

 was much better, but fruit-bearing plants were not as prolific 

 under the influence of electric light as when grown in the natural 

 way. Electric light has many of the essential properties of sun- 

 light, but it remains yet to be proved whether foliage plants can 

 be grown profitably by this artificial means. My experiments 

 with dynamical electricity on the growth and development of 

 foliage plants has led me to believe that electricity, as it exists in 

 the atmosphere and ground, is a potent factor in the economy of 

 nature and has much to do witli the growth of vegetation. I 

 have grown lettuce by this means and found in two cases — 1 have 

 only recently started — that the advantage was in favor of elec- 

 tricity, the plants were better and healthier. I shall continue my 

 experiments in this direction, and will give them to the public 

 from time to time. Yours very truly, 



C. D. WARNER. 



Heating Green-houses. 

 I have had experience with but one mode of heating a lettuce 

 house, and that by hot water. In my house, 26 x 168, I have 



