DISTRIBUTION OF SOIL MOISTURE 



149 



As a result of this fact, it is not practicable to say 

 that any soil contains a definite uniform per cent of 

 capillary moisture. The content varies with the height 

 of the column and the plane in the column at which 

 the determination may be made. This important 

 principle in the distribution and amount of moisture 

 in the soil is well illustrated by the following tables 

 and curves, for soils of different texture, as obtained 

 by Buckingham: 



Table XX 



The above moisture curves illustrate very clearly the 

 accumulation of the water in the lower part of the soil 

 column. These columns were permitted to stand in 

 contact with water for many days, so that, with the 

 possible exception of the finest textured soils, they had 

 come to equilibrium. It will be noted that the difference 

 in moisture content is much greater at the top of the 

 columns than at the bottom, and decidedly greater 

 than at a height of about ten inches above the water. 



