should be made when the soil is damp or it will need to be 

 dampened. Place the litmus paper in the middle of the soil 

 and squeeze it tightly. Leave it for five minutes. Red lit- 

 mus paper will turn blue if the soil is alkali. Blue litmus 

 paper will turn red, if the soil is sour. If the soil contains 

 enough lime (is not sour) the acid will foam with little white 

 bubbles. Make the test in as many places as time will 

 permit. They should be made in fields that are to be farmed 

 the coming year so as to see the effect of any treatment that 

 is given them. 



Conclusion: What was the condition of the soil where 

 the different tests were made? 



EXERCISE No. 52 

 SIZE OF SOIL PARTICLES 



Object: To show that soils are composed of particles of 

 various sizes. 



Material: Samples of as many different kinds of soil as 

 can be found. 



Method: Place a handful each of clay, peat, and muck 

 in a jar one-third filled with water, and shake well. Pour 

 off the water in a few minutes. Slowly evaporate the 

 residue to dryness, meanwhile allowing the muddy water to 



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