From FETEK HEHDERSOM m, CO,, HEW YORIi 



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THE WESTINGHOUSE 

 EXPERIMENTS 



with 



Sl.^ Electric Ll^ht as an Aid to 

 iw^|p»i^_J Plant Growth 



j^ ^%^ at tlie Seed Testing Grounds of 



%^ Peter Henderson & Co. 



■When the Westinghouse Electric Co. requested 

 us to co-operate with them in a six weeks' series ' 

 'of experiments in growing plants by the aid of 

 /electric light. "We gladly placed our Seed Testing House 

 at Baldwin, L. I. at their disposal, and undertook to do 

 the necessary planting; because we felt, as always, very mucli 

 interested in scientific research on the subject of plant growth. Wc 

 knew that but little had been done in the way of growing plants by 

 the aid of electric light heretofore, and so were glad to participate. 

 We were well aware that in the continuous dayhght of the Alaskan 

 summer, vegetables and plants mature in about one half the time 

 required in otir latitude, because we have a number of customers in 

 Alaska who grow our seeds. JMr. C. O. Walker of Skaguay , "the most 

 northern florist in the world" recently sent to us a photo showing sweet 

 peas from Henderson's seedgrowing 8feet liigh and covered with blooms. 

 The sis weeks' test certainly did tend to show that electric light 

 accelerates very considerably the germination of seeds and the 

 growth of seedlings. 



Experts who inspected the tests during thesbrth week considered 

 that most of the plants subjected to the electric light were about 14 

 days ahead of plants grown under ordinary conditions in another 

 part of the house. 



The experiments were started early in September, when 12 varieties 

 of vegetable seeds and 12 varieties of flower seeds were sown in shal- 

 low flats; two sets of flats being sown, one set for growing imder the 

 electric light and one set for growing in the ordinary way. They 

 were all grown in the same house and tinder the same conditions 

 excepting that when the electric light was turned on a large oU-cloth 

 curtain dividing the two sections was let do'mi. The light was 

 sv-itched on every night at 8 P. M. and automaticallv shut itself otr 

 at 1:00 A. 3M. 



The general results have established the following facts: 



1. That there is an analogy between the radiant energy of sunlight and that of an incandescent electric light because the plants receiving the 

 additional electric Ught were decidedly more "\igorous and of a richer green color than those not recei-iing it. (see Iht illusUations on this page). 

 In each case the larger plant shown was subjected to the electric hght, thus demonstrating its stimulating effect. 



2. That plants ha\ang a broad leaf sm-face were stimulated more than others. 3. That Ught should be appUed only in carefully chosen hours. 



EXPERIMENTS WITH BULBOUS PLANTS 



Continuing work along these lines we have placed one of our large Testing House's on Arlington Ave., Jersey Citj^ at the disposal of the 

 Westinghouse Co. for a still more complete experiment with bulbous plants such as Easter Lihes, Narcissus, TuUps, HyScinths and other 

 flowers raised by Florists to meet seasonal demands. 



This experiment will be practical in its nature and will demonstrate whether or not it will pay commercially to grow these plants by the aid of 

 electric light. Peter Henderson & Co. will plant and grow the bulbs in the usual way on both sides of the testing house, but when the electric light 

 is turned on one side will be shielded from it. 



The Westinghouse Co. wUl install and operate the electric plant necessary, and make notes of the results, publish them in the press and la 

 various magazines about March 1st next. We, ourselves wUl also publish the results in the next edition of tJis Catalogue. 



NATIONAL GARDEN WEEK— April 20th to 26th. 



This movement was initiated last year by Mrs. E. D. Wangner of the Garden Magazine, and was subsequentb' taken in hand by the General 

 Pederation of Women's Clubs. 



The Governors of many states fell into line and issued proclamations urging its observance and tliis year an even greater number of states 

 will b? interested in its observance The date this year has been tl.ied for April 20lh to 2Qlh. It is of coiu-se impossible to fix a date that will be 

 suitable to all states, because as everybody knows, seed sowing and planting begins in some sections much earlier than in others, but seeds, tools 

 and garden requisites should be pro^^ded for in .January or February to save loss of time when the ground is ready 



P'ETER HENDERSON & CO., 35 and 37 Cortlandt Street, NEW YORK 



