THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 



Experiment I. 

 Table Ic. 

 Field Manured and Plowed. 

 Moisture content at different depths. 



Date. 



Depth of 



Snow 



Frost 



5" 



10" 



15' 



1917. 

 Nov. 10 

 Nov. 27 

 Dec. 7.. 

 Dec. 20. 

 1918. 

 Jan. 8.. 

 Jan. 21. 

 Feb. 10. 

 Feb. 24 . 

 Mar. 19 

 Apl. 4.. 

 Apl. 24. 



0" 

 1" 



2" 

 2" 



2" 

 14" 

 14" 

 16" 

 12" 

 0" 

 0" 



0" 



5" 

 13" 

 18" 



22" 

 30" 

 27" 

 20" 

 18" 

 4"-17" 

 0" 



21-4 

 19-5 

 23-6 

 23-4 



22-2 

 38-0 

 23-0 

 27-0 

 42-0 

 29-2 

 18-5 



31-0 

 20-2 

 16-3 

 15-6 



15-6 

 48-0 

 14-5 

 14-0 

 33-0 

 21-3 

 20-0 



Experiment I. 



The diagrams on this plate, and on subsequent plates of the other 

 experiments, are arranged as follows: — 



Each diagram represents the results of analyses of a definite 

 level, either five, ten or fifteen inches. Above the zero line the mois- 

 ture variations are indicated by the dotted curve and the bacterial 

 changes by the solid black line. Below the zero line the frost pene- 

 tration in the soil in inches is represented by the solid line; the broken 

 line gives the depth of sampling, and the shaded area showing the 

 depth of frost below the level of sampling gives a very clear idea to 

 what extent the samples were frozen. 



The bacterial counts in this experiment are so much lower than 

 the counts found the year before, that only the severe frost can account 

 for this difference. On the five inch level where the influence of the 

 temperature was more direct than on the lower levels the general 

 trend of bacterial count is downward. In the beginning of December 

 we notice a bacterial increase preceded by about a week by a moisture 

 increase. This same increase is observed on the ten inch level, although 

 not preceded or accompanied by a moisture increase, and is probably 

 the beginning of the bacterial action on the available raw material, 

 culminating the year before in the large January totals, but here 



