101 
force a portion of it into the earth, and cause a partial state of 
negation of it upon its surface; which being followed by a 
powerful rush upward, as the temperature and rarefaction of the 
contiguous air increases, must give a great impulse to the seeds 
and shoots, and act as the immediate cause of germination. As 
the first incitement to the seeds contained in the soil may thus 
be produced, so that of the buds of trees must be greatly pro- 
moted by the electricity of the rushing winds. That the elec- 
tricity is much more intense during the cold dry winds of ^larch, 
in a clear atmosphere, than at any other season, I have been 
assured by Mr. Sturgeon to be the result of his numerous ex- 
periments, in conformity with the few observations which I have 
made. It may be worth while, however, to observe, that the 
conclusion had presented itself from the above considerations 
previously to his favouring me with this information ; so that 
theory and experiment have in this respect coincided, without 
the one being biassed by the other. That a negative state of 
the seed and the soil in which it is deposited, in respect to the 
atmosphere, is peculiarly favourable to germination, while it is 
much promoted by electricity in general, appears from the fol- 
lowing experiment. I sowed some mustard seed on the 20th 
of April in similar soils, one electrified positively, a second 
negatively, and a third in its ordinary state. In four days the 
electrified plants appeared, but those negatively electrified were 
the most advanced ; those not electrified did not appear till two 
days later. On the 12th of 3Iay the plants in a negative state 
had grown to 2} inches; those in a positive state to 2t inches; 
those not electrified to IJ inches; the electrified plants were 
strong and flourishing in proportion. I am here induced to 
recite the particulars which I received from a medical electri- 
cian, of which a general mention has been made. A narcissus 
plant which was in a verj’ languishing state, being placed in the 
room in which his powerful electric machine was kept in fre- 
quent action, soon began to exhibit signs of extraordinary vi- 
gour. It grew to the height of thirty-six inches, and was stout 
and luxuriant in proportion. Some branches of the moss rose 
and various other flowers placed in water on the mantle of his 
room, retained their colours while the seeds were forming, during 
five weeks, and at last dropped off" witliout assuming a withered 
appearance. A turk’s-cap lily drooped during several hours of 
151 AUCTiBICM. 
