accelerated the growth of plants; while, on the other hand, Ingenhouse, Sylvestre and other savants denied the existence of this electric influence.  The heated controversies and animated discussions attending the opposing theories stimulated more careful and thorough investigations, which establish beyond a doubt that electricity has a beneficial effect on vegetation.  Sir Humphry Davy, Humboldt, Wollaston and Becquerel occupied themselves with the theoretical side of the question; but it was not till after 1845 that practical electroculture was undertaken.  Williamson suggested the use of gigantic electrostatic machines, but the attempts were fruitless.  The methods most generally adopted in experiments consisted of two metallic plates—­one of copper and one of zinc—­placed in the soil and connected by a wire.  Sheppard employed the method in England in 1846 and Forster used the same in Scotland.  In the year 1847 Hubeck in Germany surrounded a field with a network of wires.  Sheppard’s experiments showed that electricity increased the return from root crops, while grass perished near the electrodes, and plants developed without the use of electricity were inferior to those grown under its influence.  Hubeck came to the conclusion that seeds germinated more rapidly and buckwheat gave larger returns; in all other cases the electric current produced no result.  Professor Fife in England and Otto von Ende in Germany carried on experiments at the same time, but with negative results, and these scientists advised the complete abandonment of applying electricity to agriculture.  After some years had elapsed Fichtner began a series of experiments in the same direction.  He employed a battery, the two wires of which were placed in the soil parallel to each other.  Between the wires were planted peas, grass and barley, and in every case the crop showed an increase of from thirteen to twenty-seven per cent. when compared with ordinary methods of cultivation.

Fischer, of Waldheim, believing atmospheric electricity to aid much in the growth and development of plants, made the following tests: 

He placed metallic supports to the number of about sixty around each hectare (2.47 acres) of loam; these supports were provided at their summits with electrical accumulators in the form of crowns surmounted with teeth.  These collectors were united by metallic connection.  The result of this culture applied to cereals was to increase the crop by half.

The following experiment was also tried:  Metallic plates sixty-five centimeters by forty centimeters were placed in the soil.  These plates were alternately of zinc and copper and placed about thirty meters apart, connected two and two, by a wire.  The result was to increase from twofold to fourfold the production of certain garden plants.  Mr. Fischer says that it is evidently proved that electricity aids in the more complete breaking up of the soil constituents.  Finally he says that plants thus treated mature more quickly, are almost always perfectly healthy, and are not affected with fungoid growth.