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ELECTRO-CULTURE. 95 
brought forward ready to plant out some weeks earlier than 
those grown under ordinary forcing conditions. 
At Lincluden House in the winter months of 1912-13 
experiments were tried with violet rays derived from mercury 
vapour lamps. A greenhouse was divided into two parts 
by a screen covered with black cloth, which entirely pre- 
vented any radiation from the lamps penetrating to the part 
kept for comparison; the light was switched on every evening 
at sunset and kept on for five hours; the temperature of the 
house was maintained at an average maximum of 54 deg. 
and minimum 44 deg., though on several occasions when 
there was hard frost it fell as low as 38 deg., and during 
hours of bright sunshine rose to 70 deg. 
Germination under the violet light was accelerated, seed- 
lings showed strong robust growth, so much so that they 
could be planted out in the open without the necessity of 
being ‘* hardened off,’’ while in the control portion of the 
house, where the plants were not exposed to the violet light, 
they were weak in growth, and in many instances died off 
before nearing maturity. 
Some cauliflower plants grown under the influence of the 
lamp were planted out when first showing their centre leaves, 
and although exposed to several degrees of frost, their 
growth was in no way checked, and they produced large 
finely-shaped heads fully a week earlier than those raised in 
an adjoining forcing house, brought on under forcing condi- 
tions. 
Tomato seedlings exposed to the light when about seven 
inches high were in blossom on the 31st day, and the trusses 
were set two weeks later, but although the fruit set well and 
the plants bore heavy trusses, they were long in ripening and 
the fruit of a bad shape, many being double and even treble, 
the skin thick, and the flesh coarse. 
The general conclusion formed from the experiment with 
regard to plants which were left to come to maturity under 
the violet rays was that the whole fabric of the plant was 
improved, they blossomed freely, and produced heavy crops, 
while the contrary was found to be the case in the control 
