Stimulating Plant Life With Electricity

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 86, 12 April 1941, Page 22 (Supplement)

Stimulating Plant Life With Electricity

THE interest shown in the use of electricity in the garden, as outlined in articles «n the "Star" and "Week-end Pictorial, has found an echo in the move to form in Auckland a club ot enthusiasts to further studies in this new and fascinating field ot horticulture. Comment on observations by Mr. Terrv is contained in the following article l.v a Morningside enthusiast who signs himself "Amateur Gardener. Mr. Terry has given some interesting results lie has obtained in his garden liv the use of electrically heated wires and neon ravs. states the writer. His letter is published as a commentary on a previous article explaining results rained by electricity, and would lead the reader to believe that the two systems were identical. Actually, this is not so. The set of experiments referred to in the original article made use neither of heating elements nor of neon rays. The treatment consisted merely of putting an electric shock through the garden. Nature's Laws Mr. Terry reminds lis that "Mother Nature" will penalise us if we break her laws. These experiments are Lir.sed on the belief that Nature's laws have been broken when bush is destroyed and the natural electrical field with it, and they aim at restoring the original coalitions.

There is no question of merely stimulating the top portion of plants. Splendid results were obtained this season both with root and top vegetables. As an example. l>eetroot growing at present has tops Tin high and roots ;>in in diameter. Excellent results have also been obtained with strawberries, the picking season lasting from the first week of October to late January. These

plants are perfectly normal and healthy, and are now bearing a small second ° Whereas Mr. Terry exposed'his plants to neon rays for two hours each evening over a certain period, this treatment is o-iven two minutes once a week. Xo rea comparison can be made between the two methods. While the effect of neon rays may very well be as Mr. Terry describes* it, it has no connection with the results of the other experimental work, to which it bears only a superficial resemblance. More than a Hobby? Perhaps Mr. Terry wctfild care to explain or justify his remarks, "that the use of electricity could never be anything morp than a hobby in or around \ nek land." There seems to be no reason why this method, which is followed with much success in other countries, could not be most profitably adopted here. Surely an appliance at once so simple and so effective cannot but lie of great lienefit to a farming country like our own. If there is a future for the use of electricity 111 gardens, as Mr. Terry partly admits, why shut out Xew Zealand from the advantages to be gained from it?