THE WATER-CULTURE METHOD FOR GROWING PLANTS 



WITHOUT SOIL 1 



By D. R. Hoagland and D. I. Aknon 

 California Agricultural Experiment Station 



[With seven plates] 

 INTRODUCTION 



During the past few years, the popular press has given an immense 

 amount of publicity to the subject of commercial or amateur growing 

 of crops in "water culture;" that is, growing plants with their roots in 

 a solution containing the mineral nutrients essential for plant growth. 

 The solution takes the place of soil in supplying water and mineral 

 nutrients to the plant. This method of growing plants is also de- 

 scribed under such names as "tray agriculture," "tank farming," and 

 the recently coined term, "hydroponics." Often, popular accounts of 

 recent experiments on growing plants by the water-culture method 

 leave the reader with the impression that a new discovery has been 

 made which bids fair to revolutionize our present methods of crop 

 production, and indeed promises to produce in the future far-reaching 

 social dislocations by dispensing with the soil as a medium for growing 

 many crops. 



Frequently, wholly unfounded claims have been made by promoters 

 that a new "profession of soilless farming" has been developed which 

 offers extraordinary opportunities for investment of time and funds. 

 Attempts have been made to convince the public that a short course 

 of training will give preparation for entering this new "profession." 

 The impression has been given also that the water-culture method 

 offers an easy means of raising food for household use. 



Some of the popular articles on the water-culture method of crop 

 production are grossly inaccurate in fact and misleading in implica- 

 tion. Widely circulated rumors, claims, and predictions about the 

 water-culture production of crops often have little more to commend 

 them than the author's unrestrained imagination. Erroneous and 



1 This article has also been published as a circular of the California Agricultural Experiment Station. 

 It was originally prepared at the request of the director of this station for the purpose of presenting an inde- 

 pendent appraisal of the water -culture method in the light of recent discussion. Here printed by permission 

 of the California Agricultural Experiment Station. 



461 



