electric cell, or the terminals of a battery composed of a number of cells, to two plates of metal placed in the earth, one on either side of the seeds under experiment. Before a conductor of electricity allows the current to pass, the particles of the conductor assume a forced state, in which they tend to resolve themselves into the elements of which they are composed (Faraday, “Eleventh Series of Researches,” pars. 1298 and 1299). For instance, a solution—double cyanide of silver—is taken, and two plates immersed in it. These plates are connected with the poles of a cell; the current leaves one plate and passes through the liquid to the other plate, and resolves the solution into its two elements as it passes. Throughout the whole of the liquid where the current passes, separations and recombinations of the elements take place, finally leaving cyanogen at one plate and silver at the other. This is a simple electrolytical result. In substituting earth for the above solution, secondary results would follow (“Experimental Researches,” by Faraday, vol. i., pars. 743, 744, &c.). Thus, if the earth surrounding the roots of a plant is resolved into elements and recombined continuously, it might be supposed that the roots of the plant would absorb the elements it required easily, and so the plant would grow more rapidly.

In one of my first experiments two peas were taken: one was planted in a small iron vessel 4in. in depth and 2.½in. in diameter. In this vessel two copper plates, 3in. long by 1in. across, were placed perpendicularly, and with 2in. of earth separating them. Each plate was connected with a pole of a cell, made after Cabaret's plan. The current given by this cell was strong enough to deflect the galvanometer-needle 65°. This galvanometer was formed with seven coils of No. 26 B.W.G. wire wound round a magnetized needle ¾in. in length, and suspended in the same way as ordinary compass-needles. This current from the Cabaret cell was not of great intensity. In a second vessel, similar to the first, another pea was placed at an equal depth of 1in. The soil was taken from the same spot, and so it was of the same quality and moistness in each case. From time to time they were watered with like quantities of rain-water. The vessels were placed side by side at the same distance from the window, and so exposed to the same temperature, and enjoyed the same amount of light. In fourteen days from the time of setting, the seed which was not under the influence of electricity came up. Forty-eight hours later seed No. 2 appeared. In twenty-one days, however, this plant had grown to an equal size, and in thirty-five days the seed under the influence of electricity had decidedly outgrown the unelectrified one. The cell was then disconnected, and the copper plates in the ground were connected with each

other. By testing with solution of iodide of potassium and litmus-paper, traces of a passing current were obtained. At the end of further six weeks' time the electrified seed had outgrown the other by one-half.

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Experiment No. 2: A glass vessel was taken and filled with soil. In the centre a coil of wire consisting of seven spirals, four of which were stripped of insulation, was placed. A current of electricity, which was interrupted at times, was kept circulating, losing little or no force in the passage. Close to the uncovered wires of the spiral three mustard-seeds were planted so as to be in the range of the electricity induced in the surrounding earth (Ferguson's “Electricity,” pars. 248, 249). Three other seeds were planted in the surrounding earth: these seeds were as nearly alike in size as possible, and were about an inch from the spiral. The glass vessel was placed in the open, and so exposed to even conditions of weather. At the end of seven days the seeds were separated from the soil, put end to end, and measured. Those planted near the coil measured 1/3in. longer than the ones removed from it.

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Experiment No. 3: Ten seeds of mustard were taken, and planted each 1in. apart in the garden, in soil mixed with guano. In ten days the seeds were all above ground, some 1/3in., some 1/6in. All these were exposed to the same conditions of weather, and were watered equally. As time went on it was noted that the plants preserved their relative size until they reached maturity, save in the case of the two experimented upon. The same was the rule with seeds planted in soil mixed with bone-dust, and in ordinary loam. Two out of the ten seeds were selected, each one-sixth smaller than several which were noted, and equal in size to the rest. The soil in which these two grew was included in the circuit of an electric current which deflected the galvanometer-needle 65° when the earth was not included in the circuit, and scarcely at all when the earth was included. On either side of the plants, in the ground, silver plates, each ½in. by 3in., were placed, and these were connected to the cell by wires. In fourteen days the two mustard-plants had grown equal in size to the larger plants, and in another two weeks had increased more rapidly, and when they reached maturity were one-sixth larger than the largest of the others.

Experiment No. 4: A fourteen-cell battery was connected with two small plates which were put in the ground 1in. apart, a current of electricity was circulated round the roots of two mustard-plants for the space of two weeks, but scarcely any advantageous effect was noted. The anodes in the ground were worn, or, rather, eaten into, very little, which would show that there had been little chemical action,