59 



ross the field, a number of iron wires which were faste- 

 ned down into the soil, one end to a copper the other 

 to a zinc plate, thus supplying a net of parallel wires 

 throughout that half. This net formed of course a weak 

 galvanic battery which collected the electricity in the 

 atmosphere. 



The experiment led to the following result. The part 

 of the field intersected by the wires produced abundance 

 of root and green growth, and the other part appeared 

 comparatively starved. Bearing in mind that oxygen- 

 hydrogen is chiefly distilled by the green growth of ve- 

 getation, and that root is the foundation of vegetable 

 life, the conviction arises that the more atmospherical 

 electricity there is on earth the more vigorous the vege- 

 tation and hence the more abundant the production of 

 oxygen-hydrogen for the sun's supply. 



In France electrical experiments with plants were con- 

 ducted by the scientists. Bartelot and Gotier. In the 

 year 1882 the latter planted in flower pots various sorts 

 of flowers. The poles terminating a chain of thermo- 

 electrical elements HOe. were buried in the mould of 

 some of these pots. The result showed that the plants 

 through whose soil the electric current passed grew with 

 amazing rapidity. In six weeks they attained an extraordi- 

 nary development, in size and weight' doubling the pro- 

 portions reached by those plants to which no electricity 

 had been applied. 



Looking more closely at the solar system we can now 

 see that the sun exploits the planetary world, but, at the 

 same time strives to maintain its existence. By day it 

 takes its supply of vital energy in the form of oxygen- 

 hydrogen, but at night, by means of lunar electricity, it 

 repairs the organic injuries and losses of earth's vegeta- 

 tion sustained during the day's work. The experience 

 of natural science shows that flowers produce no oxygen, 

 either in the day or in the night. There is nothing then 

 to surprise us in the fact, shown by Norkyevich-Yodko's 

 experiments, that the sun as it were ignores this pro- 



