Sherman E - How to build a bigger & better hydroponic garden for less than $20. USA 1978. 61pp

No disclaimer - cover features a very large (approx 10 feet) flowering cannabis plant grown in a greenhouse. Covers cultivation of cannabis and other plants. Handwritten text with numerous illustrations. Sections include:

Reasons for hydroponic growing -high quality, high yield, easy set-up and maintenance..

Short Course on Hydroponic Growing (what is hydroponics, details of the growth of plants, need for light, air and nutrients)

Bigger & better than what - cheap alternatives to commercial equipment, e.g. use of oil drums as containers.

Basic principle of the bigger & better garden - methods of water/nutrient delivery (bubbler, wick, pumps, drip-irrigation, hand-watered.

How to build the bigger & better garden - detailed instructions for adapting an oil drum into two separate containers with water/nutrient delivery system.

Refinements and alternatives - improving the aesthetic appearance of growing containers, use of lights, timer switches, styrofoam (polystyrene) beads, constructing a home-made float-valve, use of alternative containers (including large scale plant beds), the "water pot" garden using gravel as a medium.

Growing instructions - Suggests marijuana growers refer to a specialist publication, includes advice on filling the reservoir and changing the solution, planting seeds (use of perlite, vermiculite etc) Advises against use of soil-based media due to risk of disease transmission. Advice on pruning, spacing (no more than 2 marijuana plants per bed), growing different plants in one bed (e.g. fast-growing and slow-growing/shade loving plants).

Troubleshooting - problems with pests, fungus, temperature, overwatering, list of common symptoms and likely causes.

Comment: Although this book does not explicitly purport to be about growing cannabis, the cover and many of the photographs within are of cannabis plants, and there are mentions of marijuana in the text. The hand-printed style is attractive and well-laid out, although most of the information about equipment and prices is well out of date, the basic principles of hydroponic cultivation are explained in a simple, no-nonsense manner with illustrations to support the text.