Dr. C. W. Siemens gave a very remarkable lecture at
the Royal Society on Thursday night, on the power of the electric light over vegetation. He had, he believed, shown by experiment that the electric light has the same sort of influence over vege- tation as sunlight ; but his most remarkable conclusion is, that plants do not apparently need rest, that plants stimulated by sunlight in the day, and by the electric light at night, grow far faster, and make a no less good and solid fibre, than they would if subjected to light during the hours of day alone. If this be really established, it is a very remarkable conclusion ; but can it be true, that plants really make root as well in the light as in the darkness ? We thought gardeners had long ago determined that question in the negative. Dr. Siemens had also satisfied himself that, "while under the influence of the electric light, plants can sustain increased stove-heat without collapsing, a circumstance favourable to forcing by electric light."
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