November 25, 1909] 



NA TURE 



berger, is being introduced on a large scale in Norway by 

 the Badische Aiiilin- und Sodafabrik. In this process^ air 

 is passed through an iron tube in which an alternating- 

 current arc of s-metre length is maintained under a pressure 

 of 4200 volts. The air enters one end of the tube by a 

 scries of tangential holes, and the rotary motion thus pro- 

 duced keeps the arc confined to the axis of the tube. Each 

 arc absorbs 600 horse-power. 



Electricity in Agriculture. 



The discovery that electrification of the atmosphere im- 

 mediately above the plant stimulates in certain cases its 

 growth is now being utilised practically under a system 

 worked out bv Sir Oliver Lodge, in collaboration with 

 Mr. J. E. Newman and Mr. R. Bomford. A network of 

 galvanised iron wires is stretched over the field to be 

 treated, and suspended iS feet from the ground from wooden 

 posts and oil insulators. The posts are placed 70 yards 

 apart, so that about one post per acre is required. The 

 network is positively electrified to from 60,000 to 100,000 

 volts by means of an induction-coil mercury gas break and 

 Lodge rectifying vacuum valves. The induction coil is 

 worked on tlie primary side by continuous current obtained 

 from an ordinary dynamo. The amount of primary power 

 required per acre is very small, namely, from 10 to 20 

 watts. The installation is run for five or six months dur- 

 ing eight to ten hours each day, and the total expenditure 

 of energy is only about 20 B.O.T. units per annum per acre. 

 Under this treatment the increase in the yield per acre is 

 about 30 per cent., but under certain conditions it may be 

 even more. The system is in use on several farms in this 

 countrv, on six farms in Germany, and on one farm in 

 Holland. 



In the time at my disposal I have only been able to 

 refer to a few of the industries which have benefited by 

 the application of electricity ; but when one reflects that 

 nearly every industry in the country has been, or might 

 be, furthered by the use of electricity in one form or 

 another one comes to see that an enormous field of useful 

 work is open to the electrical engineer — not only useful to 

 himself, but even more so to the interests that employ 

 him. How, then, comes it that electrical engineering is 

 not so prosperous as it might be? Some of our members 

 say because we are backward as compared with our foreign 

 competitors. If by that term they mean that our elec- 

 trical engineering works cannot produce equally good plant 

 as our rivals, I cannot agree. I have frequently visited 

 Continental shops, and, although I am quite willing to 

 admit that excellent work is done there, I am also con- 

 vinced that British shops can turn out work equally well 

 and generally at a slightly lower prime cost. There is cer- 

 tainly no justification in reproaching the makers of elec- 

 trical plant with backwardness ; and, moreover, it is bad 

 business policy. If, however, the reproach is levelled 

 against the potential users of such plant there is some 

 justification, and also a reason. Our great staple indus- 

 tries are old-established and have been fairly prosperous 

 for generations ; those on the Continent are of recent 

 growth, and had to struggle into existence against English 

 competition. To become successful they had to adopt every 

 improvement which science put at their disposal. With 

 them the application of electricity is almost a vital matter ; 

 with us only a desirable improvement. Is it, then, to be 

 wondered at if a works manager or owner, who has grown 

 up in the pre-electric days, and has been doing a prosperous 

 business ever since, should be rather slow in embarking in 

 new methods of working which, to his thinking, might 

 entail the possibility of risk and the certainty of greater 

 mental exertion ? There are, of course, exceptions, and a 

 good many of them, as witnessed by the great strides 

 which electrical methods applied to our staple industries 

 have already made ; but, compared to what the develop- 

 ment might be, we must admit that we have as yet only 

 touched the fringe of this vast field. There is progress, 

 but it is not fast enough, and to accelerate it we must 

 educate the potential users of electrical plant. A begin- 

 ning in this direction has already been made by the 

 managers of electric-light stat,ions. They are educating 

 the householder by local exhibitions and literature that he 

 KG, 2091, VOL. 82] 



can understand. On the Continent every large electrical 

 engineering firm has a literary department, the business 

 of which It is to educate possible customers. No sooner 

 is a new winding plant started, or a cotton mill electric- 

 ally equipped, than well- written, well-printed, and beauti- 

 ful'ly illustrated leaflets are sent out into the world to tell 

 possible clients of the work done by the firm. Here, such 

 literary departments are the exception ; and thus it comes 

 about that we hear so much of the great advances 

 made on the Continent and so little concerning equally good 

 work done here. 



Our institution can also do something to accelerate the 

 introduction of electricity into our great industries. It is 

 no doubt verv useful if we in our meetings read highly 

 technical papers, and thus educate each other ; but this is 

 only part of our work. The other part is to educate the 

 customer, and for this purpose we possess in our organisa- 

 tion of local sections the requisite machinery. By 

 arranging for papers which shall be of interest to the par- 

 ticular industries carried on in the district of each local 

 section, our institutien can further the adoption of elec- 

 tricity in these industries, and this will not only be to 

 our own advantage, but even more to the advantage of 

 those whom we serve. 



UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL 

 INTELLIGENCE. 



Cambridgk. — The professorship of biology will be vacant 

 on January i, 1910, by the resignation of Prof. Bateson 

 as from that date. Candidates for the professorship should 

 communicate with the Vice-Chancellor on or before 

 Monday, January 10. The professor will receive a stipend 

 of 7ooL'a year, with the usual deductions in case he holds 

 a fellowship. It will be the duty of the professor to pro- 

 mote by teaching and research the knowledge of genetics. 



The Balfour studentship will be vacant at Christmas, 



1909. The names of applicants, together with such in- 

 formation as they may think desirable, should be sent on 

 or before January 15, iqio, to the secretary, Mr. J. W. 

 Clark, Registry of the University, Cambridge. 



Dr. Whitehead has been appointed chairman of the 

 examiners for the mathematical tripos, part i., 1910. 



Mr. W. B. Hardy has been nominated a manager of 

 the Quick fund from January i, 1910, to December 31, 



1915. , , ■ 



The electors to the Isaac Newton studentships give 

 notice that, in accordance with the regulations, an election 

 to a studentship will be held in the Lent term, 1910. 

 These studentships are for the encouragement of study 

 and research in astronomy (especially gravitational astro- 

 nomy, but including other branches of astronomy and 

 astronomical physics) and physical optics. The studentship 

 will be tenable for the term of three years from April 15, 



1910. The emolument of the student will be 200!. per 

 annum, provided that the income of the fund is capable 

 of bearing such charge. Candidates for the studentship 

 should send in their applications to the Vice-Chancellor 

 between January 16 and 26, 1910, together with testi- 

 monials and such other evidence as to their qualifications 

 and their proposed course of study or research as they may 

 think fit. Candidates are recommended to send with their 

 applications an account of any work bearing on astrononiy 

 or physical optics on which they may have been engaged, 

 and to forward copies of any papers they may have pub- 

 lished on these subjects. 



The special board for moral science directs attention to 

 the urgent need of more adequate accommodation for the 

 laboratory of experimental psychology. Since 1.S97, when 

 the lectureship in experimental psychology was first estab- 

 lished, this department has been successively housed in 

 various temporary quarteis, all totally unfitted for the 

 purpose. At Oxford an excellent laboratory devoted to 

 experimental psychology has recently been erected, presided 

 o\'er by a reader, who is a Cambridge man. This labora- 

 tory was built and is maintained at the expense of the 

 University. The board is of opinion that it is essential 

 that a similarly permanent and satisfactory building should 

 be provided without delay in Cambridge if Instruction and 

 I research in this important new subject are not to cease. 



