THE EFFECT OF ELECTRICITY UPON PLANTS. 
199 
The crop was judged as considerably heavier by several practised 
observers, and the straw was on an average from 4 in. to 8 in. higher. 
Both experimental and control plots came into ear at about the same 
time, but the Canadian wheat under treatment was ready for cutting 
some three or four days before the control area. 
The crops were gathered separately from the electrified and un- 
electrified plots, and the resultant yields were as under ; — 
Bushels per Acre. 
Electrified. Non-Electrified. Increase. 
Canadian (Red Fife) ... 35 J ... 25 J ... 39 per cent. 
English (White Queen).. 40 ... 31 ... 29 per cent. 
Moreover the electrified wheat sold at prices some 74 per cent, higher, 
several millers in baking tests finding that it produced a better baking 
flour. 1 
No theoretical conclusions can be drawn from this fact, owing to the 
uncertainty existing as to what factors determine the strength of wheat, 
but it is interesting to note that greater strength is usually accompanied 
by increase in percentage of total nitrogen. 
Mr. J. Kirkland of the National School of Bakery, Borough Poly- 
technic, found the evidence from baking tests supported by the average 
of dry glutens from all his tests thus : — 
In the electrified ... ... 11T5 per cent. 
In the unelectrified ... ... 1035 per cent. 
The somewhat poor yield of wheat obtained from the unelectrified 
portion of the field is probably explained by a deficiency in lime, which 
has now been rectified. Further, the wheat was spring sown, and Red 
Fife, under this condition, does not usually yield good crops. The 
experiments are being repeated upon wheat during the present season, 
and strawberries are also under treatment once more. 
At College further trial has been made of the 
Earth Currents. method of Barrat and Speschnew, in which plates 
of different metals are sunk in the ground and 
connected by a wire. 
Plates of copper and zinc were used with a copper wire soldered 
to them. 
The first trial was made with Vicia Faba, the beans being planted 
on February 21st, 1906 ; the control plants were grown between copper 
and zinc plates not connected with a wire. 
The plants where the earth current was passing appeared two days 
earlier; in June they still showed markedly greater vegetative develop- 
ment, and though the total yield in the two plots could not well be 
compared, the average size and weight of beans differed in favour of 
the electrified plot, thus : — 
Electrified. Unelectrified. 
Average volume of bean ... 2 c.c. ... 1-5 c.c. 
Average weight ... ... 2 ‘26 grs. ... 1*71 grs. 
^ Tests made by Watkin’s Bros., Hereford: and by D. W. Goodwin & Co., 
Kidderminster. 
