3i8 — How to Make the Garden Pay. 



light except in the rare instance, when his garden or greenhouse 

 happens to be placed where an electric street lamp of the town 

 or city sheds its light directly upon his plants. 



The results of experiments conducted recently by Prof. L. 

 H. Bailey, at the Cornell Experiment Station, seem to endorse 

 those of the earlier experiments by C. W. Siemens, in England, 

 and P. P. Deherain, in France, and show beyond doubt, that 

 periods of darkness (or rest) are not necessary to the growth and 

 development of plants, and that the electric light can be profit- 

 ably used in forcing the growth or maturity of at least certain 

 kinds of plants. The injurious influences upon plants near the 

 naked light can be prevented by the interposition of a transparent 

 glass (opal globe) between light and plants. 



Different kinds of plants seem to be differently affected by 

 the electric light. While some crops are markedly benefited, 



Bench of Lettuce in Ordinary Greenhouse. 



others seem to be injured, and still others show no effects either 

 way. The best results have been observed on lettuce, and next 

 to it, on radishes. Indeed, I believe that the electric light as a 

 promoter of plant growth will be of practical value chiefly or 

 only to the extensive grower of greenhouse lettuce and green- 

 house radishes. 



The material difference in the rate of growth made by let- 

 tuce plants in an ordinary and a lighted greenhouse, may be seen 

 plainly in the annexed illustrations, which represent parts of the 

 houses at the Cornell Experiment Station (from photographs 

 taken in 1891 ; reduced from station bulletin). Prof Bailey's re- 

 port was as follows : 



" Three weeks after transplanting both varieties in the light 

 house were fully 50 per cent, in advance of those in the dark 

 house in size, and the color and other characters of the plants 

 were fully as good. The plants had received at this time 703^ 



