Mar. lo, 1919 Organic Matter and Water-Holding Capacity of Soil 267 



Table I. — Nitrogen and organic matter in successive levels of the surface foot 

 (a) nitrogen in CORCOSITES from 6 BORINGS WITH AUGER 



(b) NITROGEN IN COMPOSITES FROM 24 BORINGS WITH TUBE 



(d) RATIO OF ORGANIC CARBON TO NITROGEN 



I to 6. 

 7 to 9. 



10 to 12 



12. 9 



13.0 

 12. 4 



12.8 



13-5 

 10.8 



a The carbon was determined bi" combustion with copper oxid in a current of oxygen after previous 

 treatment with phosphoric acid. 



Plots 3 and 4 show the extremes, the former having the highest and 

 the latter the lowest nitrogen content and at every level plot 3 shows 

 the higher value. The percentages on plot 2 are almost as high as those 

 on 3 while the values for plots 5 and 6 fall between those for 3 and 4. In 

 its low nitrogen content, plot 6 approached 4, the sections below the ninth 

 inch containing even less than the corresponding ones on the latter. 

 The nitrogen content of the first foot on plot 3 was 138 per cent and the 

 organic matter 140 per cent of that on plot 4. These two plots, as they 

 showed the extremes in nitrogen, and, hence, in organic-matter content, 

 while being adjacent, were selected for the more detailed moisture studies. 

 106544°— 19 2 



