494 Agricultural Experiment Station, Ithaca, N. Y. 



chard only for the purpose of green-raauuring. If nitrogen i» 

 needed, then crimson clover or common clover may be sown and 

 allowed to remain as a covering for the soil during the winter 

 and may be plowed under in the spring. The surface tillage 

 should begin and continue faithfully through the growing season. 



Suggestio7is for determining the amount of moisture in soils. 



It is a very easy matter to determine the amount of moisture 

 in a soil. The only apparatus required is a pair of scales which 

 will weigh to grains and a tube which can be driven into the soil 

 for taking the sample. Such a pair of scales can be purchased 

 for a small sum,* and the tube may consist simply of a piece of 

 boiler pipe about one and one-half inches in diameter Vv^hich has 

 had the outer edge at one end bevelled down to enable it better 



A' 



148.— The soil sampler. 



to be driven into the soil. Have a mark on the outside of the 

 tube indicating eight inches or one foot from the sharpened end,, 

 according to the depth to which it is desired to take the sample. 

 The sampler used by the United States Department of Agricul- 

 ture (Figs. 148 and 149) is described as follows: "The soil sam- 

 pling tubes are made out of brazed brass tubing about seven- 

 eighth inch internal diameter and fifteen inches long. The tub- 

 ing is No. 21 Stubb's gauge. On one end a brass collar about 

 one-fourth of an inch wide is sweated in. The end of the tube is 

 then turned off in a lathe giving a rather long taper but letting 

 the point be the full thickness of the collar. A mark is cut into 

 the tube twelve inches from this cutting edge.'' We have used 

 this implement with much satisfaction. 



*Eimer & Amend, New York, make a balance which, with weights, can 

 be purchased for about $3.00. 



