AS INDICATED BY OSMOMETERS. 63 



With this soil mixture, measured by volume in its dry state, was 

 thoroughly mixed the requisite amount of water, giving the volume 

 per cent of soil water required. The soil was then placed in the con- 

 tainer as described above. 



The numerical data presented in the following section show that 

 the packing of the soil is a matter of the greatest importance in such 

 studies as this, and means must be devised for obtaining several soil 

 samples packed in the same way. Such means were not available in 

 the present work and their lack is undoubtedly our most prominent 

 source of unknown causation. With this feature of soil conditions 

 future researches will eventually have seriously to deal. 



