VEGETABLE ELECTRICITY. 
131 
reduced, and ascertain it to be the light of the sun — the vivifying principle of 
ature, the assured source and fountain of electricity and magnetism, and, as a 
atural consequence, of that effect which we term heat — little doubt can remain of 
j ie relationship which exists between electricity and vegetation, or that the latter 
ad all its productions are excited and governed by it. 
We now claim attention to a paper of extraordinary merit, which forms the 
3 cond article in the last number of the “Journal of Agriculture,” {March, 1846,) 
On the Electro-culture of Farm Crops," by that eminent Electrician, Mr. William 
turgeon, Editor of the “Annals of Electricity, Magnetism, and Chemistry,” &c., 
c . &c. It does not, in reality, apply to farm-crops alone ; but being written for an 
gricultural work, and Electro-culture having, during the previous year, become a 
rominent subject, the writer consistently addressed himself chiefly to agriculturists, 
hit the few extracts which our limits permit us now to offer will evince that 
j ie principles of the article apply to every vegetable production, useful or ornamental . 
Our Author appears to take as his foundation the great principle (which a variety 
f experiments, familiar to electricians, have demonstrably established) that “the 
articles of electric fluid are repellent of each other, a property which finds its 
nalogue in all aerial fluids ; hence it is said, with propriety, that the electric fluid 
^ elastic, and that bodies similarly electrified repel each other. From the results of 
nother class of experiments we infer, that bodies in different electric conditions 
ttract each other ; and as no facts are known to contravene this inference, it has 
iecome an established principle in electric science. Upon these attractions and 
epulsions the doctrine of electro-chemistry is essentially based ; and to those 
irinciples alone are chemical changes due. The elements of compounds have only 
0 be assailed by electric forces more powerful than those which hold them together, 
nd decomposition is a certain result ; and bodies which will not associate with each 
ther under ordinary electric circumstances, can easily be forced into combination by 
1 lie aid of additional forces properly applied. 
“ Contemplations on electro-chemical forces, thus disencumbered of complexity, 
re well calculated to afford a clue to those atomic operations which select the appro- 
priate materials, convey them to their destination, and elaborate them in the structure 
4 every vegetable tissue that is formed within and upon the surface of the land. 
The second great position assumed by Mr. Sturgeon is Electro-polarity , occa- 
ioned by electric disturbance. Such is the condition of the prime conductor of a 
emmon machine when at work. “ Now,” he observes, “ as this is a universal law 
vlien electric fluid is transmitted from one body or object to another, it follows that 
he electro-polar state of the air contiguous to growing plants causes the latter to 
)ecome electro-polar , even when they are in the act of transmitting fluid to the 
ground, their upper parts being negative relatively to the roots, while the latter, in 
heir turn, are positive to the contiguous manure and soil, to which they delivei up 
he fluid (or rather, such portions of it as are not retained for the expansion and 
growth of the plants) as faithfully as the leaves and stems receive it from the air. 
