ELECTRIC VEGETABLE GARDEN ING. Experiments carried on at the govern ment agricultural station at Amherst, Mass., since 194 show that the use of electricity by the farmer is a distinct and valuable stimulus to nature and exerts a marked influence upon the germination of seeds and the grbwth of farm products. Scientists argue that roaming around loose in the atmosphere there is a vast fund of electrical force, which, by means of specially devised apparatus, can be attracted to the earth and distributed through the ground where the gardener has sown his seeds. The apparatus by means of which the electricity is caught and harnessed has been tested at Am herst and has proved to be a complete success. Briefly described it consists of a number of copper spikes which are elevated at the top of a 50-foot metallic pole. These spikes gather the electric fluid from the atmosphere and convey it to the foot of the pole, where it is caught by wires buried a few feet beneath the ground and distributed over as large a section as the gardener desires. Each of the poles will gather and distribute enough electricity to cover sev eral acres of ground. With this apparatus ex periments have been made which may be sum marized as follows: After seeds have been subjected to the electric treatment for a period of 24 hours, it was found that over 30 per cent more seeds were germinated by the aid of electricity than in a like quantity of seeds sown in ground that lacked the electrical stimulant. As the scientists in charge of the experiments wished to make a very complete test, the electric cur rent was applied to seeds that were allowed to stay in the ground for 48 hours. In this case it was found that 20 per cent more seeds had germinated in the electrified ground than in the soil where the seeds had been left to sprout under normal conditions, and in 72 hours this percentage had dropped to 6, thus showing that the use of the current for the purpose of stimulating germination under all the tests was a decided success.
In the various tests seeds subjected to only a temporary current of electricity have been found to show the effect for a few hours and then resume their normal growth. In one in stance, to produce a constantly beneficial effect it was necessary to apply the electricity every hour to germinate growing plants or seeds.
Another interesting experiment, made in 1902, was planting in two sections of ground, the soil in both of which had been carefully se lected to ensure it being exactly alike, seeds of the following vegetables : parsnip, lettuce, carrot, turnip, radish and onion. To one of the sec tions of ground a mild current of electricity was applied. The following day the plants in the electrified plot began to appear, the turnips sprouting first. The rapidity of growth of those planted in the electrically treated ground was far in advance of those treated in the ordinary ground. The second day plants broke through the surface in both plots, those in the electric garden showing considerably the more rapid growth; the foliage was rank. and when har vested was nearly twice as high as that of the non-electric plot. The roots also were larger and showed a marked difference in favor of electricity. One peculiarity was that in the elec tric plot for every pound of roots very nearly a pound of tops was produced, while in the other case for every pound of tops there grew 1.43 pounds of root, but the difference in the total was all in favor of electricity. With reference to the other vegetables, the lettuce proved a failure in both plots. The carrots showed a marked superiority in the electric bed over those hi the non-electric. The onion plants came up in both beds and grew finely for a time, then blasted and not one developed, neither electric nor non-electric.
Besides the electric treatment of the soil, ex periments have been made with the electric light for stimulating the growth of plants and the general effect has been to hasten the maturity of lettuce, spinach and similar products. It has been found that the electric light has the stimu lating effect of daylight upon the plants and crops thus encouraged by light from arc lamps have showed 50 to 60 per cent increase. In short it has been clearly demonstrated that by means of electricity nature can be forced to do double duty without lessening the worth of her products. See ELECTROCULTURE OF PLANTS.