Wisconsin State Agricultural Society. 
93 
mainly, to present in concise form, tlie scientific principles involved. 
The laws of electrical action must be clearly apprehended in order 
that one may be qualified to judge correctly in regard to the prac¬ 
tical appliances proposed for warding off the effects of this destruc¬ 
tive agent. It is in the light of such knowledge only, that the 
practical rules furnished by science can be successfully applied to 
the varying conditions constantly occurring. 
We have undertaken this worta, not because we have any thing 
new to present. The principles relating to the subject in hand 
have all been kjiown to science since the time of Franklin. Nor 
have there been invented any improvemen ts in the practical applica¬ 
tion of these principles, essentially different from what was sug¬ 
gested by Franklin himself. 
It seems to us, however, that there is occasion for calling anew 
the attenton of farmers and others to this subject. Had we statis¬ 
tics at hand, we should be glad to lay before you definite information 
in regard to the loss of property and life caused by lightning. 
This, we think, would be found greater than is general^ supposed. 
It is obvious that the means of protection, as actually applied, are 
far from effective. Buildings, apparently well provided with rods, 
are often struck by lightning—oftener, it may be, than those with¬ 
out them. A thorough understanding of the elementary principles 
of electricity would show the cause of this failure, and would restore 
confidence in the complete protection afforded by rods constructed 
and put up in accordance with the laws of electricity; and thus, we 
are assured, much property and many lives would be saved. It is 
the more important that these laws be generally understood, since 
so many false notions are disseminated by charlatans and so many 
impositions practiced by agents and venders of rods—each claiming 
for his wares superiority over all others. Moreover; what appears 
in the public prints on this subject, generally comes from interested 
parties, is partial, one-sided, and by no means trustworthy; while 
the publications of scientific men are, for the most part, in a form 
not readily accessible to common readers. 
We desire here to call particular attention to an article on At¬ 
mospheric Electricity, by Professor Henry, secretary of the Smith¬ 
sonian Institute, published under the head of Meteorology in the 
Patent Office Report for 1859. If the principles presented in this 
publication were generally understood and practically observed, 
