Marvels of Plant Growth.

Kaipara and Waitemata Echo, 23 October 1914, Page 2

Marvels of Plant Growth.

: Very' striking; -' are • the, results-AviiLc:^:;]1 Haye■ rliocn • obtainedi!;nii:.!:r.egar<d s-tou!?^ plant growth by the emplxDyaMjent-ua of violet rays from mercury vapour lamps. It has''b'e'en proved iih'aViWs'certain cases.- .seeds ; geriiijnaijd] several ; weeks ; earlier .with the. ; aid ( of ~, •this particular ..light "ttian" wiieii v gi;o.w,nj in^he^ ;natura} way,. ••■ The ~ }time ""for" gcrnnnati6h'iGi^efHh:e'')''i&-"-rfluence of the "Ultra-violet rays of the lamp, dayjs in*4jb.e case t>f QfErrotM-as ' agiilstt.£w<t&ysix ,dayp-. ; whett ] , / grp i w.n | ;, naturally,; while maize germinated '"in" eigftt days instead iof !fif/ty r s|y£nl,}j ] } . Wheat, barley, and various other seeds were tested, and in all cases 'a hastgfilnigi jfcrf ge.£ittktatjLcSiv,r(^ulted. •Strawberries*^ c^oMviile^ %P thl ulW#f i&Ht'i"€sVS^an >saw.ij«ased a crop W ${f fJe¥ 4:en*.^>whil« %£<gt carnations; ; i.-aijil)-- geran^jcnsA i showed increased foliage and nmverVbf good siie ■'ari'&":;cotoiir."i''^-i:':]-."i>l.l mna j>)i ;>r PP Equally-ihtere'stiiig'i ioie i_ttaeTexperiments which have, been conducted with ..radio-active - ? matter. This mtthqd " 'consists' 'W l' "impregnating ' . with -> |!-an< -i iTiifuiitesJiiual;). iwrtiop.; ■> pf .radium^ t . and._ in .some cases an in!crease :in ''/the' rate1 of^groStfttrrbf 1 3*00 -; per';■ cfeirt; 1 '^hWs Weeit.■ > bfc.Qjight , ; ab'ouiß 'by fthis'i^ 'means.: ■.. u^Ther.,,r pre-.. sence in the soil of about'"one milligram ;;;of radium to. twenty tons of' soil1 prdducedii: in! ith&, majority^i pf cases tried, a marked : effects ueon the ratf 'of germiriiutibnl! f'aoh'di the growth, ; Qf (Plan'fsK'^Titj-iias^'tLlisp been used with success,!.,',,to,''.^.as^fe^ the ripening1 of tomatoes.;;. . ~,."'..'1' Another method of^increaaing the fertility.! ; of stiil 11 is that by Professor Bottomley,:l;whbi'} by a series-.1 iof experiments',' 'x^a!sj] I fehown that .lie. ..can. v convert barren'''soil into..iertile land"'' by ' ffitrbdticing' -'" certalh% .-yfc'He^6iS.tisT?;o^€that. a peat bog is j solel^Jaecause li is .s lacking An bacteria, ;whi^h hwve •fessor does,not suggest "that he can, as it were.-.so.w.bactiiria, oiy'ja^e'at bog and'~maice "it;into '/cultivated soil, but he . does hope ' 'thatK he; ckn take supplies of peat and concert t them into very rich manure, (which ;may do permanent,,as well as- im"tnediate • service, s.ojl^ ;: ;