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Show FORCING GROWTH OF PLANTS Intelligence of Man Is Enabling Him to Become Master of Nature and the Seasons. By degrees man is becoming master mas-ter of the seasons. Light and electricity elec-tricity are being pressed into his service, serv-ice, and he can already force on plant growth so rapidly that he can beat the ordinary process of Nature by many weeks. One method Is to treat seed, before be-fore planting it. with small doses of high-tension electricity. In 1910 a trial was made of this method near Burn-hnm-on-Crouch, in Essex, England. Spring wheat is usually sown in Marcb or April. On this occasion the wheat of which the seed had been treated by this special process, was not sown until July 19. It was up in five days, and on September 16 was in ear. It was reaped 12 weeks from the time It was sown, whereas the ordinary time for wheat to mature in that country Is 18 weeks. Another method of forcing crops Is to run a current of electricity through overhead wires. In this way the yield of oats and beans has been nearly doubled. dou-bled. Experiments tried last year at Lincluden Mains farm in Dumfriesshire, Dumfries-shire, were practically successful. A third method Is to use artificial light, either electric or, better still, acetylene. acety-lene. Plants are thus made to grow by night as well as by day. Cabbages and lettuce are easily forced in this way, but other plants such as carrots, seem to resent it. Flowers bloom earlier ear-lier under artificial light, and are more brilliant. |