2O 



nourishment." Professor Warner sums up by say- 

 ing, " everything considered, the results were in 

 favor of electricity. Those plants subjected to the 

 greatest electrical influence were hardier, healthier, 

 larger, and had a better color, and were much less 

 affected by mildew than others." In later experi- 

 ments he found that parsnips, salsify, radishes, and 

 peas thrived especially well under the electric 

 treatment, while turnips and beets responded to a 

 less degree. 



Spechnew, having obtained such excellent re- 

 sults from the use of earth-batteries, was led to 

 perform the experiment of electrifying seeds before 

 planting them, to see if the current would have any 

 effect to make them develop sooner. He put some 

 seeds into water until they swelled, and then trans- 

 ferred them to a glass cylinder, pressing copper 

 discs against them at both ends. The disks were 

 connected with the poles of an induction coil, and 

 the faradic current applied to them for a minute 

 or two. Immediately afterwards they were planted. 

 Peas, beans, barley, and sunflowers developed in 

 about half the time required for those not so treated, 

 and the resulting plants were healthier looking, 

 with larger leaves and brighter colors; the yield, 

 however, was not increased. 



The results reported by other experimenters cor- 

 respond so closely with those detailed in this chap- 

 ter that we need not give space to them. 



The small expenditure connected with this line 

 of experimentation in electro-horticulture should 

 make it popular. 



