96 ELECTRO-CULTURE. 
plants. In the case of the control tomatoes they died off 
before they arrived at the stage of blossoming. 
A microscopic examination was made of both experi- 
mental and control plants, which showed a very much greater 
accumulation of granules containing chlorophyl in the treated 
plants, the stems presented large quantities of strengthening 
fibre, while the control plants had practically none. 
To make the experiment of practical value the light 
might be profitably used for germinating seeds and for bring- 
ing on strong hardy seedlings without the heat and work 
entailed under ordinary forcing conditions, but for ripening, 
so far it has been found of little value. 
The subject is one which requires much careful research, 
which unfortunately, owing to other work on hand, has been 
rendered impossible at Lincluden; but investigation on the 
subject is being continued elsewhere, and we may hope to 
hear of some very interesting results of a practical as well as 
scientific nature in the near future. 
The Chairman, in moving a vote of thanks, pointed out 
that growing crops are constantly extracting from the soil 
three chemical ingredients—nitrogen, potassium, and phos- 
phoric acid—and these have to be restored to the ground. 
Hitherto this has been done by the aid of farm manure and 
nitrates, obtained from the Guano Islands, South America, 
and other rainless districts, where there are deposits of nitrate 
of soda, and where the action of moisture and evaporation 
does not restore the nitrogen to the atmosphere. But the 
natural supply of nitrates is limited, and in such demand that 
there is danger of its becoming gradually exhausted, hence 
the great importance of finding means of drawing upon the 
inexhaustible supply contained in the atmosphere. He be- 
lieved the air we breathe contains about 80 per cent. of nitro- 
gen, and it has already been proved that some of this nitrogen 
may be transferred to the soil in a manner suitable for the 
nourishment of vegetation. In this room about four years ago 
the Society had an interesting lecture by Professor Priestly, 
in which he explained the principle on which this can be 
accomplished. At the same meeting were given the results 
