SOIL WATER l6; 



O 



comes up with it into the jar until you have a sample 

 a foot deep. If one boring twelve inches deep does 

 not give sufficient soil make another boring or two 

 close by and put all into the jar. 



Take the sample, by whatever method obtained, 

 weigh out ten or twenty ounces of the moist- soil 

 and dry it at a temperature just below 212 degrees. 

 When it is thoroughly dry weigh again. The dif- 

 ference between the two weights will be the amount 

 of water held by the sample. Now divide this by 

 the weight of the dry sample and the result will be 

 the per cent, of water held by the soil. 



Several samples taken from different parts of the 

 field will give an average for the field. Repeat this 

 every week or oftener through the season and an 

 approximate estimate of the water-holding capacity 

 of the soil will be obtained and consequently an 

 indication of the crops to which the soil is best 

 adapted. 



EXAMPLE. 



Weight of a soil sample, 20 ounces. 

 When dried this sample weighs 17^ ounces. 

 20 17^ = 2}^, the water held by the soil. 

 3.25 -f- 17.75 = - 12 P lus - 



This soil held a little over twelve per cent, of 

 water. If this soil continues to give about the same 

 result for successive tests during the growing sea- 

 son, the results would indicate a soil adapted to cot- 

 ton, late truck or corn. 



