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CHAPTER V 



ELECTRICITY AND MARKET GARDENING 



ELECTRO-CULTURE is of even greater value to the market gardener 

 than to the farmer. Unless the weather is exceptionally unseason- 

 able the farmer can generally count on a certain amount of sun- 

 shine during the three or four months his crops are growing, but 

 the market gardener has a rotation of produce extending through- 

 out the whole year either in the open air or under glass. 



Lack of sufficient sunshine in our country, especially in winter, 

 is a want felt by all gardeners, and though " forcing " is adopted 

 extensively the expense of production is great and the products 

 are neither so good in flavour or quality as those grown under nor- 

 mal conditions ; therefore any scheme for promoting the growth 

 of plants in the absence of sunshine is a matter well worth the 

 consideration of the horticulturalist. 



In the winter of 1904 Mr. J. E. Newman fitted up an overhead 

 discharge system at his gardens near Bitton, in the open, as well 

 as in seven out of fifteen greenhouses, the other eight houses being 

 kept as a control ; cucumbers and tomatoes were planted in all. 



The pots of Argentine Beans the seeds of which were 

 sown on the same day the plant on the left was exposed 

 to the radiation of the Mercury Vapour Lamp, that on 

 the right was grown in greenhouse under ordinary con- 

 ditions. 



