101 TBANSACTIONS OF THE ILLINOIS 



accordance with the prevalent belief that clover can stand drouth 

 better than blue-grass and timothy. 



Comparing Nos. 23 and 24 with Nos. 17 and 18, the corn land is 

 found to contain 4.2 per cent, more water than clover stubble, or 

 comparing with Nos. 21 and 22, 2.9 per cent, more than in pasture 

 field. In taking samples an excavation was made 2 ft. 4 in. deep. 

 An appreciable number of corn roots was found in this depth. It 

 will be noticed that in second foot there is 18.3 per cent, of water, 

 while but 12 per cent, in first foot. These two facts — depth of 

 roots and high per centage of water in second foot in cultivated 

 corn-field — indicates why corn is able to withstand such excessive 

 drouth. 



SOILS FROM MARION COUNTY, ILLINOIS. 



It was thought not at all improbable that different soils might 

 give very different results. To test this, samples of the white soil of 

 Southern Illinois were obtained by Mr. G. W. McCluer, of the Uni- 

 versity, in Meachara township, Marion county, in corn-field, oat 

 stubble, and timber land. The land was not tiled. 



Nos. 25 and 26 were taken in oat stubble from which the oats 

 had been cut six weeks. This soil is a light drab clay, almost white, 

 fine and friable, the subsoil being the lighter in color because con- 

 taining less vegetable matter. Nos. 27 and 28 were taken in a corn- 

 field in which the stand of corn was very light, in fact, a practical 

 failure on account of drouth. Soil similar to Nos. 25 and 26. Sam- 

 ple from oat stubble containing an average of 8.7 and those from 

 cornfield 12.7 per cent, of water, or four per cent, in favor of soil in 

 corn-field. In this test the increased amount of water would seem 

 to be owing to cultivation, as the corn stood so thinly and so small 

 as to cast but little shade. 



It was found that stubble land in Champaign county contained 

 4.3 per cent, more water than in Marion county ; and the corn and 

 broom-corn land in Champaign county contained 2.1 per cent, more 

 water than the corn-field in Marion county. There is more differ- 

 ence between the uncultivated than the cultivated land. 



Nos. 29 and 30 were taken in timber, consisting mostly of post 

 oak and hickory. The soil was similar to Nos. 25 to 28, except more 

 tough, impervious clay in second foot. There was a little smaller 

 per centage of water in first foot than was found in corn-field, and 

 a little more than in oat stubble. In second foot there was a sur- 

 prising per centage of water, there being 21.5, while there was but 

 10.2 in oat stubble and 14.5 in corn-field. 



SOIL FROM HANCOCK COUNTY, ILLINOIS. 



Through the kindness of Mr. A. C. Hammond, Secretary of the 

 Illinois Horticultural Society, Warsaw, I was enabled to make farther 

 tests of water in soil under varying conditions. 



