XV 

 CHEMICAL FARMING 



GROWING PLANTS WITHOUT SOIL OR CULTIVATION 



THE introduction of the element of chance of great 

 gain into any work adds much to its desirability and 

 when you add to this chance the possibility of won- 

 derful returns or less work, or both, we have an 

 opportunity or method for which we all reach out. 

 Seeing enormous growths of plants and yields there- 

 from has stimulated a lively interest in this so-called 

 new method. 



Some three hundred years ago, Johan Batiste Van 

 Helmod thought he had proved that plants grow en- 

 tirely from water. Placing two hundred pounds of 

 dried soil in a large container, he moistened it with 

 rain water and planted therein a willow branch, pro- 

 tecting the cask (and contents) from dust with a 

 metal cover. He then moistened it continuously with 

 rain or distilled water for five years. At the expira- 

 tion of this time he removed the tree whose weight 

 had increased to one hundred and sixty-nine pounds. 

 He now thoroughly dried the soil, and on weighing 

 it, found it to be of its original weight, two hundred 



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