Lysimeter Experiments 



27 



of snow but rather to an accumulation of moisture in the soil itself. 

 Whether this occurs under natural field conditions or only in such well- 

 drained soil as that contained in the lysimeters is not apparent from the 

 data of these experiments. 



Effect of applications of lime on percolation 



Since in some of the tanks the soil was limed and in others it was not 

 limed, an opportunity is afforded to observe the effect of the applications 

 of lime on the amount of drainage. Tanks 7, 8, 9, 10, and 12 were limed 

 in the spring of 1910 with burnt lime at the rate of 3000 pounds per acre. 

 During the subsequent years this lime has had an opportunity to be 

 worked thru the upper six or seven inches of soil. Probably it has not 

 penetrated much deeper. It is questionable whether any flocculating 

 action which the lime may have had on this superficial layer of soil would 

 increase the amount of percolation. Comparisons would best be made 

 between limed and unlimed tanks that have otherwise received similar 

 treatments, and this is done in table 9: 



TABLE 9. Average Annual Percolation of Rainfall thru Limed and Unlimed 



Soil during Five-Years Period 



It is evident from table 9 that the application of lime has not caused 

 a greater percolation of water. Neither can it be concluded that the 

 opposite has been the result, for, while most of the unlimed tanks gave 

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