! 
! 
AND HORTICULTURE, 35 
machine, is placed above the capillary tube, when the 
machine is started water-drops will appear after some 
seconds in the upper part of the tube. It is assumed that 
the inner surface of the tube has been moistened just 
before, and that the positive pole of the machine is united 
with the earth. The water climbs up the walls of the tube 
and forms one or more drops or small water cylinders. The 
quantity of water which in such a way ascends in the tube 
is proportional to the square of the distance of the point 
from the meniscus of the water pillar in the tube, and is 
‘dependent upon the length and diameter of the tube and 
the resistance in the circuit. 
The positive pole exercises no influence, so that this 
effect is produced by the current from the earth through 
the liquid in the capillary tube to the point. When the 
connection with the earth is removed, all effect ceases. 
Hence it follows that an electric current is produced by 
which the liquid is drawn up in the positive direction. , 
The application of this phenomenon on the method used 
in our experiments on growing plants is as follows :—The 
electric current produced by the influence machine when 
its positive pole is earthed goes from the earth through the 
plants to the points of the insulated wire net and back to 
the negative pole. This causes an ascent of liquid or juice 
in the capillary tubes of the plants, and produces in such a 
way an augmentation of the energy with which the circulation 
of the juices ts going on. 
During the experiments made hitherto the insulated 
wire net had been united with the positive pole of the 
influence machine, and had thus been made positive; in 
analogy with Nature itself, where the potential of the air 
is ordinarily positive. A thorough investigation of the 
influence machine resulted in detecting the following pecu- 
liarity, not before observed by me: As the machine, pro- 
vided with Leyden jars at both poles and with the one pole 
earthed, is stopped, after having been again moved and set 
D2 
