soils. 451 



of its soluble material gives us at once the concentration and composition of the soil 

 solution. The apparatus thus provides a simple means of studying the changes 

 which take place in the solution from which plants obtain their mineral food. . . . 



"The [average] rate of translocation of the soil moisture into the tube, at the 

 beginning of the experiment [June 7-8], after a heavy rain, was 8.9 gm. per hour. 

 It fell steadily during the next two weeks to about 1 gm. per hour. Heavy rains on 

 July 1 brought the rate up to an average of 13.7 gm. per hour for the 24-hour period, 

 after which it fell to 1.5 gm. per hour on July 7, and so on." 



It is claimed that the studies made with this apparatus indicate that it provides 

 " (1) a means of determining the rate at which water can be supplied by a soil to an 

 artificial root, by means of which a capillary pull is exerted upon the soil moisture of 

 any desired magnitude up to 1 kg. per square centimeter. This makes possible the 

 comparison of rates of capillary movement in different soils under field conditions. 



" (2) A simple method of removing a portion of soil moisture with the dissolved 

 substances which it contains, thereby enabling a study of the concentration and com- 

 position of the soil solution under different field conditions. 



"The apparatus has the disadvantage of being able to remove water from the soil 

 only when the latter is comparatively moist; in other words, it fails to give informa- 

 tion regarding the rate of movement of soil moisture during conditions approximat- 

 ing a drought. Experiments are now in progress with a view to extending the range 

 of the apparatus." 



An artificial root for inducing- capillary movement of soil moisture, F. H. 

 King (Science, n. ser., 20 (1904), No. 516, pp. 680, 681). — A note on the above article, 

 which raises the question whether the evidence presented by the author "is suf- 

 ficiently conclusive to warrant the views there expressed, or [whether] they have 

 succeeded in devising an artificial root which, in any essential way, can be said to 

 represent or measure the natural movement of soil moisture in a soil toward an active 

 root." 



It is pointed out that "even if the author's conclusions be not correct regarding 

 the cause of the flow of water in the experiment, the line of investigation is impor- 

 tant in that it has provided a means of securing water from field soils, perhaps, in a 

 somewhat more concentrated condition than occurs in natural drainage, and permits 

 the sample to be taken where its history may be very definitely known; and it is to 

 be hoped that they and others will apply the method in investigating the character 

 of soil extracts thus obtained." It is regarded as extremely doubtful, however, 

 whether "either the concentration or the composition of solutions so procured will 

 be found to be the same as that which closely invests the soil grains or the root hairs 

 at the same place and time." 



Soil moisture studies, C. H. Kyle (Industrialist, 30 (1904), No. 35, pp. 567-580, 

 fig. 1). — This article gives the results of a study of the moisture conditions during the 

 summer of 1903 in soil under different methods of culture and crop rotation. 



"The method employed in determining the amount of moisture in the soil is the 

 gravity method. Samples of the soil of the field or plat under experiment are taken 

 in foot sections to the depth of 6 ft., and each sample, on being removed, is placed in 

 a separate tray and covered at once, so as to prevent loss of moisture. In order to 

 obtain an average sample four (duplicate) samples are usually taken, at some dis- 

 tance apart, of each of the first 2 ft. and two samples are taken of each of the remain- 

 ing 4 ft., all samples for the same foot being placed in the same tray. 



"These trays are made of heavy tin, with closely fitting lids of the same material. 

 They are 12 in. long, 4 in. wide, and 3 in. deep. Each tray has a number stamped 

 on its two sides, one end, and the lid, so that while in the field it is only necessary 

 to keep a record of the foot from which the sample is taken and the number of the 

 tray in which the sample is placed. Each tray on being filled is placed in a large, 

 galvanized-iron chest or trunk, made for the purpose. Each chest holds sixteen 

 trays. When all of the samples are secured the chests are carried to the laboratory 



