ELECTROCULTURE 



19 



Table 20. — Yields of rye, rape, bean, and potato plants after electro cultural treat- 

 ments in 1883, according to Wollny 





Treatment 



Yields per square meter (grams) 



Plat 



Rye, 



42 plants 



Rape, 



42 plants 



Beans, 

 42 plants 



Potatoes, 

 5 plants 



No 1 





182.0 

 219.8 

 197.8 

 201.6 



228.7 



114.8 

 94.5 

 103. 

 114.7 

 118.7 



517.5 

 514.5 

 420.0 

 600.0 

 631.0 



372. I 



No 2 



6 cells - - --- .- 



310. 5 



No 3 



3 cells . _- . 



315.3 



No 4 



Cu-Zn 



397.8 



No o 



Control __ 



377. 6 











These records show that in nearly all cases the control plat gave 

 the best yields, but further experiments were conducted in 1886 and 

 1887. The ground was well worked over, and four plats 16 by 2 

 meters were selected, separated from each other by paths 1.2 meters 

 wide and bordered by wooden lath walls. Each plat was divided 

 into eight smaller plats 2 meters square and all were given equal 

 applications of manure. On the small ends of the four large plats 

 zinc plates 2 meters by 30 centimeters in area were sunk perpen- 

 dicularly and connected above ground through an induction coil 

 operated by 4 or 5 cells for plat 1 and through a 4 or 5 cell battery 

 for plat 2. Plat 3 served as a control, and plat 4 had a copper plate 

 at one end directly connected by a copper wire with a zinc plate at 

 the other end. Diagonally lying plats were planted with the same 

 crops, the grains being drilled to give a uniform planting. The 

 presence of a current on all treated plats was noted by the use of a 

 galvanometer. Throughout the season there was no perceptible 

 difference in growth between treated and control plats during either 

 year. The comparative-yield weights are shown in Table 21. 



Table 21. — Yields of vegetable crops after electrocultural treatments in 1886 and 



1887 , according to Wollny 





Treatment 





Yields per 



plat 2 meters square ('grams) 





Plat 



Rye 



Rape 



Peas 



Beans 



Corn 



Pota- 

 toes 



Beets 



Tur- 

 nips 



In 1886: 



No. 1 



No. 2 



Induction 



5 cells . 



113.3 

 108.6 

 107.8 

 100.9 



933.0 

 879. 

 948. 4 

 838. 5 



339.0 

 300.5 

 405.8 

 418.0 



775.0 

 755. 

 773.0 

 761. 6 



1, 420. 

 1, 570. 

 1,380.0 

 1, 490. 



548.0 

 588. 

 592.0 

 571.0 



2, 040. 

 2,410.0 

 2, 220. 

 2, 190. 



696.5 

 607.0 

 584.2 

 465. 



1, 962. 8 



1 . 92a 6 



1,913.6 

 2,072.9 



6,400 

 4,650 

 6,620 

 6,670 



8,350 

 8,190 

 8, no 

 8,920 



23,400 

 24. 420 

 28,100 

 29, 400 



19,640 

 17,650 

 18,900 

 16, 320 



22,250 

 18, 080 



No. 3 



Control 



Cu-Zn 



Induction 



4 cells 



Control 



Cu-Zn 



21 520 



No. 4 



In 1887: 



No. 1 



No. 2 



No. 3 



No. 4 



20,800 



1 7. 850 

 18,270 

 18,460 



19, 660 



From these experiments Wollny concluded that an electrical cur- 

 rent conducted through soil in which plants were growing had in 

 genera] no influence or possibly a harmful effect on the productive- 

 ness of the plants. 



Leicester (29, 30) used boxes of soil 2 l / 2 by 3 feet in area, witli 

 copper and zinc plates connected above ground. Control boxes 

 without plates were included. After several trials with different 



