1 May, 1902.] QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. 405 
ELECTRIC DIET. 
A. member of the medical faculty of the University of Michigan has 
discovered that a galvanic current promotes the growth of tissue, or, in other 
words, increases the amount of flesh. That electricity exerts a beneficial 
influence upon the growth of plant life has long been known. Perhaps this 
circumstance suggested the idea of electrically stimulating animals. 
Two cages of guinea pigs, six to the cage, were experimented with. The 
guinea pigs were all exactly the same age. Through one of the cages an 
electric current was passed day and night. The other cage was in no way 
electrified. Jor a stated period the animals in both cases were fed with 
precisely equal quantities of food of the same quality. The experiment proved 
that guinea pigs who lived in the electrified cage gained in weight during a 
measured time 10 per cent. more than those in the non-electric cage. If, as a 
result of these experiments, electricity be applied on a large scale to the fatten- 
ing of animals used as food, we may some day hear of “electric bacon” or 
“ electric beef,” which will command a special price. 
WATER TROUGH FOR FOWLS. 
Mr. J. Lambert, Aitkenvale, describes his method of providing water for 
his fowls, by which the birds are always supplied with fresh water, and the 
chance of chickens being drowned is completely avoided. He uses a 14-inch 
stump cap into which he inverts a kerosene tin full of water. The water runs 
out sufficiently to always keep the dish full. One tin will serve seventy-five 
fowls for a day. In Vol. I., p. 443, of the Journal for 1897 we described and 
illustrated a similar contrivance, which we still have in use. It acts precisely 
_ in the same manner, a small square hole at the bottom of the zinc dome 
allowing the water to escape into the dish. We reproduce here the apparatus— 
Q 
DESICCATED SWEET POTATOES. 
The West Indian Bulletin gives the following description of a method of 
preserving sweet potatoes for use as a table vegetable :— 
Uncooked sweet potatoes may be sliced and then dried either in the sun or 
in evaporators. They are prepared for the table by soaking and baking. Dried 
sweet potatoes were exhibited among the products of Japan at the Columbian 
Exposition. Their preparation is described as follows:—“ Cleanly washed 
potatoes are placed in a suitable basket and immersed in boiling water for a 
short time: when taken out of the basket they are cut into thin slices and 
spread over mats and exposed to the sun for two or three days. In order to 
make a superior quality, the skin of the potato is peeled off before slicing.’ Ag 
an indication of more recent developments it may be mentioned that a compan 
has been lately started in New Jersey, America, with a capital of 1,000,000 
dollars, to make flour from sweet potatoes. The early results are reported as 
being very successful, and it is proposed to erect mills all through the sweet 
potato growing region. The more important States in this region are North 
pa South Carolina, Georgia, Texas, Alabama, Mississippi, Virginia, and New 
ersey. 
