EXPERIMENTS WITH SHEEP

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 300, 13 May 1911, Page 9

EXPERIMENTS WITH SHEEP

GIIOWIXG STOCK BY ELECTRICITY. A Califoruian farmer. Professor Wentworth, believes that the influence of high voltage wires on animals and vegetable life during the past year have proved that electricity will more than double the normal increase of the flock and also greatly increase the yield of wool. He divided a band of 2000 sheep, one half being placed in a field under the power wires of the Great Western Power Company, while the other* were kept entirely away from all electric influence that might emanate. _ In the field under the electric power line the production of lambs averaged a fraction over two lambs to each ewe. T„ the adjoining field, where electrical'influence was lacking, the lambs averaged less than one to each ewe. Similar differences, Professor Wentworth declares, were noted in the wool yield. From the sheep kept in the electrically influenced field the fleeces proved not less than 20 per cent, heavier than those from the other sheep kept remote from such influences. Preparations are now bei„» made to plough „p both fields „,„! "„b,„ t f |,„ grounds in wheat. The power lines will then be extended throughout the entire held, s„ (hat (he measure of the initio nice of the powerful electric current may he increased. Professor Wentworth declares that he is vm'v confident thai t1,.. vield of wheal in thai field will be over 100 per cent, heavier than i,i the adjoining field. I'mlVsMir Wentworth. who is the author of ".Mmosiiheric. Dust" ;* the inventor of tl„. el.-trieal milking machine, and ua.s the first to announce that •ei-niic disturbances are caused by heated limestones. He gave advance information to_ vinevardisf.- throughout Europe (o raise w„„. ..rape*, during "the year «f the Comet. Various experiments have been made i" reont rears with electricity, to diseove,; its effert o« «V "mwtl, of plants. In England. Sir Oliver Lodge, a eounle 0 f ' "'irs i.vo. nrodu-ed some '•e,uarl<.|ble .v----suits by high tension discharge. 0,,e year strawberries were made to vield an >''ercn.se of SO per cent..; five year plants, 30" per cent.; encumbers, 17 per cent.: lint the results were disappointing when 1 pushed beyond the experimental stage.