The Stratford Evening Post WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER. MONDAY, OCTOBER 5, 1914. STIMULATING PLANT LIFE.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXX, Issue 41, 5 October 1914, Page 4

The Stratford Evening Post WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER. MONDAY, OCTOBER 5, 1914. STIMULATING PLANT LIFE.

Remarkable progress has been made of recent years in agricultural chemistry, and the knowledge gained of how to increase and stimulate plant life is a valuable asset to the world. Some results which might be termed almost startling have been obtained as a result of experiments made at King’s College, London, by adding to certain soils a little bacterised peat. Professor Bottomley, has characterised the results as “something almost uncanny.” The foliage, blooms, and coloring of flowers were increased; while some very striking results have been obtained in i the course of experiments at Chelsea, Professor Bottomley states, with barley, wheat, and oats grown in soil treated with peat. Eighteen shoots have been obtained on barley plants. The “Pall Mall Gazette” says:—“Just as modern research lias discovered that certain growing animals cannot get the full value out of pure food, and will not continue to grow unless there is some trace of what is termed ‘accessory food body’ used with it, so, it is thought, there is in this bactetised peat a substance similar to the food accessory bodies necessary for growing animals. And the suggestion is that plants, just like animals, must have some of this substance, otherwise they will not be able to utilise the food material in the soil.” So far-', however, the matter has reached only the initial stage of experiment, and has yet to “make good” commercially. This P treatment, however, it is reported, is being tested very'thoroughly by various colleges all over the country, and also by the Board of Agriculture for Ireland. When it has been definitely proved that there are these accessory bodies, and that the results that have been obtained on a small scale.can be repeated on a larger basis, then it will be possible to begin to talk about the commercial side of the discovery.