MATTEHS DISSOLVHU BV UAIX WATHU IN SOIL. 91 



Li lysiuieters I. and II. nearly the same quantities of 

 water percolated through the earth ; in the two others 

 the diflerence is great ; the two former alone, therefore, 

 admit of comparison as regards the solvent power of the 

 water. 



These experiments show that less than one-half of the 

 rain falhng on the field under the given conditions, reached 

 a depth of inches ; and that, calculatmg for 1 miUion 

 parts of water, the unmanured soils I. and 11. gave re- 

 spectively 2-37 and 2-03 pounds, the manured soils III. 

 and IV. 5-46 and 3*82 pounds of potash. The quantities 

 of potash in the manured soils do not exceed the average 

 quantity of potash foimd in drainage-water (Krocker). 



The barley grown in the earth of Ij'simeter 11. produced, 

 per square metre, 137-3 grammes (2120 grains) of barley- 

 corns, and 147-9 grammes (2272 grains) of straw, con- 

 taining in their ashes (the corns in 2*47 per cent., the 

 straw in 4-95 per cent, of ash) : — 



In the corns . . 0"823 grammes 12-6 grains of potash 

 „ straw . . 1-410 „ 21-8 „ 



Total . 2-233 „ 3-4-4 „ „ 



The quantity of potash absorbed by the Avater from 

 the earth m the first lysimeter, which was not sown 

 with barley, amounted altogether to 0-516 gramme 

 (8-0 grain) ; in the second lysimeter to 0-434 gramme 

 (0-7 grains). The difference is 0-082 gramme (1*3 grains). 

 If we think ourselves warranted in concluding from this, 



the six inches of earth, was collected beneath the sieve, in the box. 

 The box was buried in an open field, up to the border, so that the 

 earth in it was level with the surface of the field. Two lysimeters wen- 

 filled with lime soils from the banks of the Isar ; but one of them 

 broke, and the water could not be collected : hence the results obtained 

 from the other lost their inii)ortancc as a comparative experiment. 



