ELECTRICITY TO INCREASE CROP PRODUCTION. 
average yield have been receding to the pre-war averages (1904-14, 
10.2 bushels). England, Canada, and the United States all had record 
yields in the same year, with a similar decline since, though the United 
States shows an upward tendency through 1918-19. In practically all 
the belligerent countries legislation had to be enacted during the war 
period designed to bring about further increased production. In 
England, the law of August, 1917, gave power to enforce the conversion 
of 3 million acres of grass land to cultivation. To further increase the 
yields, the selection of good seed was encouraged, and all grain for seed 
purposes could be officially tested. Even with these efforts there is room 
for enormous improvement in crop production, as a comparison of 
German, English, United States, and Australian averages will show. It 
behoves us, therefore, to use at the earliest opportunity every possible 
method of increasing this average. It is much more important, and 
promises far greater return, than increasing the total area under cultiva- 
tion. What methods can we employ to reduce the gap between: Australia’s 
averages and those of England or Germany, or even of the United 
States of America? With the discovery of the value of superphosphate 
when applied to most Australian soils at a general rate of 56 lbs. to the 
acre in the case of wheat growing, our knowledge of fertilizers has 
practically remained stationary. Our manurial problems are not solved, 
and there are great possibilities in plant breeding, seed selection, an 
disease control. There has been little advance in breeding since Farrer’s: 
time. 
Earty Enrecrro-cutrure.—Lemsrrom’s Mernops. 
We cannot say that the use of electricity as a stimulant to plant 
growth is new, as it dates back at least 150 years. Little was heard 
of it until about 1840, when interest was revived by the encouragement 
offered by the Highland Agricultural Society, and William Sturgeon, 
Lecturer in Natural Philosophy at the Manchester Institute of Science, 
described in the journal of that society a series of experiments carried 
out by him. At about this time, the advantages of using artificial 
fertilizers began to be made known through the work of John Lawes. 
The benefits to be derived from these quite overshadowed the problema- 
tical gains from the employment of electricity, and its use again fell 
into abeyance. From its next revival, due to S. Lemstrém, Professor 
of Physics at Helsingfors, Finland, we can date its permanent appear- 
ance. He carried on his experiments for twenty years—right up to 
the year of his death, 1905. They were carried out in Finland, England, 
Burgundy, in Germany near Breslau, and at Atvadaberg (Sweden). 
His method consisted of conducting a current derived from a Wims- 
hurst machine, through wires 18 inches above the ground. His researches 
show that overhead discharges affect a plant in all its phases—germina- 
fon, vegetative growth, and maturation. He sums up his experiences 
in his book—Electricity in Agriculture and Horticulture—by stating 
that the best results are obtained— 
(1) with the network positively charged; 
(2) by applying the discharge in the morning and the evening; 
(3) by having the general conditions fayorable for plant growth. 
He used a current of about 1,000 volts. 
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