4 1 4 Electro- Culture. 



tive experiments on the germination of seeds," with the electric 

 fluid and without it, and the result was " similar to that of Mr. 

 Maiinbray's." Then, continues the same Encyclopaedia — " Similar 

 experiments were made by M. Achard, of Berlin, and several other 

 philosophers, but still with the same result ; until Dr. Ingenhouss 

 instituted a very complete set of experiments," &c, " which were 

 attended with very opposite results," — on which alone " A. H." is 

 disposed to rely, although they were at the time opposed, and 

 severely animadverted upon by M. Duvernier. 



" A. H/s" statement that Dr. Ingenhouss found " that electricity, 

 even in its most concentrated form — that is, as lightning conducted 

 by iron — produced no sensible effects on vegetation," requires com- 

 ment ; for we are admitted to the belief that a too powerful and too 

 transient application of this vital fluid was employed — similar to the 

 mode of Nairne, Banks, and other members of the Royal Society, 

 except that they produced very sensible effects — decay and death — 

 which analogy would have predicted by referring to the evil of the 

 superabundance of stimuli on all creatures. 



To resume : Dr. Carmoy, the Abbe* D'Ormoy, after Ingenhouss's 

 caveat, and subsequently, and with great force, the Abbe Bertholon, 

 give further coincident testimony from their experiments of the value 

 and benefit of this agent. How is it that these seven, and several others, 

 are to be disbelieved ? and Ingenhouss, and his echo, M. Swankhardt, 

 believed ? The presumption, I humbly suggest, is that the use of this 

 agent was not laid aside as incapable of useful application, but that, 

 by a reference to the time, it was swept from the memory of man, and 

 many of its early experimenters from the face of the earth, by the 

 French Revolution and its consequences — want of free communica- 

 tion between countries and individuals, and the high prices of the 

 succeeding struggle. 



Having cited many of the older experimenters, I will now give a 

 few of the later ones, who, from experiment, favour my opinions : — 

 Messrs. Crosse, of Broomfield, near Taunton; Pine, of Maidstone; 

 Weekes, of Sandwich ; Walker, (I understand) of the " Electrical 

 Magazine ;" M. Wyatt, your correspondent on Onions electro-cultur- 

 ed, as in your Paper of the 10th instant, signed " Beta ;" and many 

 others experimenting with the fluid obtained by the galvanic arrange- 



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