DOUBLING THE WHEAT YIELD

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 194, 6 May 1918, Page 8

DOUBLING THE WHEAT YIELD

ELECTRO-CHEMICAL CHOPS. Mr. F. Chamiev, D.Sc, writes in the "Daily Mail":—"For a good many years past it has been known that an overhead discharge of electricity stimulates vegetable growth. Adam himself prob-jibly-noticed that things grew more rapidly in. 'thunder weather.'. Experiments along these lines hare been in progress in. this country, in Germany, and in America for several years past." The "Journal of the Board of Agriculture" relates in its number of last April the latest of these experiments at Linclndon Mains Farm, in Dumfriesshire; oats were chosen ' for the experiment. Of a field of nine acres, over one acre was treated electrically. The overhead electrical discharge was obtained and applied by moans of a series of twenty-ono ■wires running across the area. They were supported at a height of about seven i'eet above the ground. The current used was direct—3 amperes 20 volts. The treatment was applied as soon as the oats wero up, and was carried on continuously in daylight.and fine weather up to .August 17. It was not used at night or in wet weather. Briefly the result was this*—Tho increase of grain on the electrified area as compared with the control or untreated areas was 49 per cent.; the increase in tho straw was no less than 88 per cent. The grain increase would have been heavier but for severe thunder storms, which laid the heavytreated crops and caused delay in cutting. Such Tcsults ore sufficiently slartling, but the methods employed ore open to several sorious objections. In the first place, tho whole field must be housed in with a network of. wires, the working cost and maintenance of whicli are an expensive item. Then tho current having to be applied continuously, the electric installation must be on or near tho .area of cultivation. To tlio newor process of what may bo Blylcd "Electro-Chemical Farming" theso objections do not apply. In the first placo the overhead wiring system is not .used. One wire only is buried at a depth of two to throe inches in the ground. It runs right round the .field, constituting the negative polo. Tho positive pole is connected with iron electrodes driven into tha ground along the central nxia of the field, at an dqual distance from the side. Tho current employed is intermittently induced high tension and continuous, supplied from a portable'dynamo and induction _ c6il coupled with a petrol engino; primary voltage 110, secondary 20,000. The treatment, instead of being a continuous one, is intermittent, applied for four to six hours every two, four, or six weeks according to tho nature of- the crops to he

treated. Thus one portable instnllntion can treat a score or more fields, all widely apart, instead of a stationary installation being required for each separate farm. At present five quai'tors of. wheat of 4801b. each are considered a good return from nn acre. But with the treatment doscribed ton to twelvo and a half quarters are obtainable. Tho 6traw is also of a much finer quality. Equally good results have been obtained from barley, rye, and peas, the yield in some cases having boon actually quadrupled.