A SOIL MOISTURE STUDY 25 



Force the auger into the soil by turning until it has en- 

 tered three or four inches. 



Remove the auger by pulling with a backward twisting 

 motion. This enables the auger to be pulled more easily and 

 prevents the breaking off of the soil around the sample hole. 



When the auger has been withdrawn, remove the soil 

 to the oilcloth provided for this purpose and transfer it 

 immediately to a quart mason jar. 



Repeat this operation, forcing the auger into the ground 

 three or four inches at a time, until the sample is secured 

 to a depth of twelve inches. 



Cap the mason jar tightly and mark with a label that 

 gives the treatment of the soil, its character, and depth, and 

 the date. 



Place the auger in the hole and move it up and down - 

 several times, turning it slightly for the purpose of cleaning 

 the walls of the hole so that the samples of the second and 

 third feet may be removed without coming in contact with 

 the surface soil. 



Remove the soil loosened in enlarging the hole by sinking 

 the auger just to the depth reached in taking the first foot 

 sample. Discard the soil removed in this operation. 



Secure a sample of the soil of the second foot (12 to 24 

 inches) in the same manner as described for the first foot. 

 Care should be taken to remove any surface soil that may 

 adhere to the second foot sample as it is removed from the 

 hole. 



After the second foot sample has been placed in a mason 

 jar and properly labeled, secure a sample of the third foot 

 (24 to 36 inches) by sinking the auger an additional 12 



