§ Sir P. DAWSONasked the Minister of Agriculture whether his attention has been drawn to the increasing use of electricity in place of manure in hot-beds in market gardening in Sweden and Germany; and whether his Department has any information regarding the benefits which it is claimed have been derived therefrom, as by this means it is possible 1842W to raise early vegetables which hitherto have had to be imported from the South of France?
§ Sir J. GILMOURThe answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. Experiments in the use of electricity for heating the soil in glasshouses have been in progress for some time at research stations aided by the Ministry, but it is not yet possible to draw definite conclusions as to the application of this method to commercial glasshouses in this country.