ELECTRIFIED SEED.

Lake County Press, Issue 2791, 26 June 1919, Page 5

ELECTRIFIED SEED.

The experiments that have been made in the direction of increasing the yield of cereals by electrifying the seed before planting should arouse the world-wide interest, especially at a time when food-shortage is a serious problem. The suooess attained by Mr H.E. Fry with his process is at least promising. The seed is treated by immersion in a tank of liquid chemical, through which current is passed for a period of from three and a-half to six hours, barley requiring the shortest and oats the longest period. Wheat comes between the other two. After eleotrifioaiion the seed is dried in a kiln, an operation on the careful conduct of which the fate of the seed largely depends. It is then sacked and sent to the farmer. During the 1918 harvest the results given on certain areas planted with treated and untreated grain were noted ; and on the whole the increase due to electrification was very notable, ranging up to 16 bushels per acre in barley, 12 bushels in oats. An increase as high as 50 per cent, was claimed by one grower of barley. The straw as well as the grain is improved in quantity. Some 25 plants for the electrification of seed corn are being, or have been, installed in the country, and experiments are in progress on potatoes, tomatoes, and vegetables seeds.—British Trade Review,