36 



SCIENCE. 



[Vol. XIX. No. 467 



at their summit with electrical accumulators in the form of crowns 

 surmounted with teeth ; these collectors were united by metallic 

 connection. The result of this culture applied to cereals was to 

 increase the crop by half. 



The following experiment was also tried: Metallic plates sixty- 

 five centimetres by forty centimeters were placed in the soil. 

 These plates were alternately of zinc and copper and placed about 

 thirty metres apart, connected two and two, by a wire. The re- 

 sult was to increase from twofold to fourfold the production of 

 certain garden plants. Mr. Fischer says, that it is evidently proved 

 that electricity aids in the more complete breaking up of the soil 

 constituents. Finally, he says that plants thus treated mature 

 more quickly, are almost always perfectly healthy, and not affected 

 with fungoid growth. 



Later, ISf. Specnew, inspired by the results arrived at by his 

 predecessors, was led to investigate the influence of electricity on 

 plants in every stage of their development; the results of his ex- 

 periments were most satisfactory and of practical interest. He 

 began by submitting different seeds to the action of an electric 

 current and found that their development was rendered more 

 rapid and complete. He experimented with the seeds of haricot 

 beans, sunflowers, winter and spring rye. Two lots of twelve 

 groups, of one hundred and twenty seeds each, were plunged 

 into water until they swelled, and while wet the seeds were intro- 

 duced into long glass cylinders, open at both ends. Copper discs 

 were pressed against the seeds, the discs were connected with the 

 poles of an induction coil, the current was kept on for one or two 

 minutes, and immediately afterwards the seeds were sown. The 

 temperature was kept from 45° to 50° Fahrenheit, and the ex- 

 periments repeated four times. The following table shows the 

 results : — 



Peas. Beans. Barley. Sunflowers. 

 Days. Days. Days. Days. 



Electrified seeds developed In 2.6 3 -3 8.5 



Non-electrified seeds developed in 4 6 5 15 



It was also observed that the plants coming from electrified seeds 

 were better developed, their leaves were much larger and their 

 color much brighter than in those plants growing from non-elec- 

 triSed seeds. The current did not affect the yield. 



At the Botanical Gardens at Kew, the following experiment 

 was tried: — 



Large plates of zinc and copper (.445 of a meter and .712 of a 

 meter) were placed in the soil and connected by wires, so arranged 

 that the current passed through the ground ; the arrangement was 

 really a battery of (zinc | earth I copper). This method vvas ap- 

 plied to pot herbs and flowering plants and also to the growing of 

 garden produce; in the latter case the result was a large crop and 

 the vegetables grown were of enormous siae. 



Extensive experiments in electro-culture were also made at 

 Pskov, Russia. Plots of earth were sown to rye, corn, oats, bar- 

 ley, peas, clover, and flax; around these respective plots were 

 placed insulating rods, on the top of which were crown shaped 

 collectors — the latter connected by iseans of wires. Atmospheric 

 electricity was thus collected above the seeds and the latter ma- 

 tured in a highly electrified atmosphere; the plots were submitted 

 to identical conditions, and the experiments were carried on for 

 five years. The results showed a considerable increase in the 

 yield of seed and straw, the ripening was more rapid, and the 

 barley ripened nearly two weeks earlier with electro-culture. 

 Potatoes grown by the latter method were seldom diseased, only 

 to 5 per cent against 10 to 40 per cent by ordinary culture. 



Grandeau, at the School of Forestry at Nancy, found by experi- 

 ment that the electrical tension always existing between the 

 upper air and soil stimulated growth. He found plants protected 

 from the influence were less vigorous than those subject to it. 



Macagno, also believing that the passage of electricity fi'om air 

 through the vine to earth would stimulate growth, selected a cer- 

 tain number of vines, all of the same variety and all in the same 

 condition of health and development. Sixteen vines were sub- 

 mitted to experiment and sixteen were left to natural influences. 

 In the ends of the vines under treatment, pointed platinum wires 

 were inserted, to which were attached copper wires, leading to 

 the tops of tall poles near the vines; at the base of these same 



vines other platinum wires were inserted and connected by copper 

 wires with the soil. At the close of the experiment, which began 

 April 15, and lasted till September 16, the wood, leaves, and fruit 

 of both sets of vines were submitted to careful analysis, with the 

 the following results: 



Without conductor. With conductor. 



Moisture per cent 78.21 79.84 



Sugar 16.86 18.41 



Tartaric acid 0.880 0.791 



Bltartrate o£ potash 0.180 0.186 



Thus we see that the percentage of moisture and sugar is greater 

 and the undesu'able acid lower in those vines subject to electrical 

 influence than in those left to natural conditions. There are also 

 experiments which prove the beneficial effects of electricity on 

 vines attacked by Phylloxera. 



The following experiments were made at this station: Several 

 plots were prepared in the greenhouse, all of which had the same 

 kind of soil and were subjected to like influences and conditions. 

 Frames in the form of a parallelogram, about three feet by two 

 feet, were put together ; across the narrow way were run copper 

 wires in series of from four to nine strands, each series separated 

 by a space about four inches wide, and the strands by a space of 

 one-half an inch. These frames were buried in the soil of the plot 

 at a little depth, so that the roots of the garden plants set would 

 come in contact with the wires, the supposition being that the 

 currents of electricity passing along the wires would decompose 

 into its constituents the plant food in the vicinity of the roots and 

 more readily prepare it for the plants. The electric gardens were 

 thus prepared and each furnished with two common battery cells, 

 so arranged as to allow continuous currents to pass through each 

 series of wires. Near each electric garden was a plot prepared in 

 the same manner, save the electrical apparatus. We will call the 

 two gardens A. and B. 



The place chosen for the experiments was in a part of the green- 

 house which is given up largely to the raising of lettuce, and the 

 gardens were located where much trouble from mildew had been 

 experienced. The reason for this choice of location was to notice, 

 if any, the effect of electricity upon mildew, this disease being, as 

 is well known, a source of much, trouble to those who desire to 

 grow early lettuce. The soil vv'as carefully prepared, the material 

 taken from a pile of loam commonly used in the plant house. 



Garden A was located where mildew had been the most detri- 

 mental; the experiments began the first of January and closed the 

 first of April. For the garden, fifteen lettuce plants of the head 

 variety were selected, all of the same size and of the same degree 

 of vitality, as nearly as could be determined; the plants were set 

 directly over the wires, so that the roots were in contact with the 

 latter; the plants were well watered and cared for as in ordinary 

 culture, and the fluid in the battery cells was ren.^wed from time 

 to time, that the current of electricity might not become too fee- 

 ble. At the close of the experiments the following results were 

 noted. 



Five plants died from mildew, the others were well developed 

 and the heads large. The largest heads -were over the greatest 

 number of wires and nearest the electrodes. It was further no- 

 ticed that the healthiest and largest plants, as soon as the current 

 became feeble or ceased altogether, began to be affected with 

 mildew. On examining the roots of the plants it was found 

 that they had grown about the wires, as it there they found the 

 greatest amount of nourishment; the roots were healthy and in 

 no way appeared to have been injured by the current, but, rather, 

 much benefited by the electrical influences. 



Beside garden A was prepared another plot of the same dimen- 

 sions, having the same kind of soil and treated in like manner as 

 the first, but the electrical apparatus and wires were wanting. 

 At the close of the experiments only three plants had partially 

 developed, and two of these were nearly destroyed by mildew — 

 one only was free from the disease. The results, therefore, 

 show that the healthiest and largest plants grew in the electric 

 plot. 



In the second experiment, which we called B, twenty plants of 

 the same variety of lettuce and of equal size were taken. The 

 treatment given was the same as the plants in plot A received. 

 Five plants only remained unaffected with mildew; seven died 



