MOVEMENTS OF SALTS IN SOILS. 75 



soil used was collected from the immediate surface of the un- 

 fertilized sub-plots and packed in the cylinders in the normal 

 crumb-structure condition. 



To study the effect of the different soils upon the capillary 

 movement of salts a bulk lot of solution was prepared at the 

 central laboratory and shipped in glass-stoppered bottles to the 

 stations. This solution as used was found, by the colorimetric 

 methods, to contain the different ingredients in amounts as 

 stated in the following table: 



Composition of solution used in capillary movement of salts in soils. 



In parts per, million of solution. 



119.54 ) 30.00 I 41.80 | 55.65 | 49.95 | 162.66 J 143.50 | 24.17 [ 9.95 



The solution was added to the reservoirs of the two cylinders 

 of both pairs at the same time, as rapidly as capillarity would 

 permit, until the soils became wet on the surface, the covers 

 being kept on to prevent evaporation. At about this time the 

 soil was removed from one of the cylinders in one- or two-inch 

 layers, as indicated in the tables beyond, weighed and dried 

 and the per cent, of moisture determined. The other cylinder 

 of soil had its cover removed and was set out in a free circu- 

 lation of air, to strengthen the loss of water by evaporation and 

 distilled water was kept supplied until about as much had been 

 added to the soil as it had taken of the salt solution. There 

 are thus two series of soil samples: (1) one through which a 

 salt solution had risen by capillarity until the soilwas wet on 

 the surface, and, (2) another in which distilled water was per- 

 mitted to follow, also by capillarity, the salt solution until 

 enough more had entered the soil to have about displaced the 

 salt solution. Through a misunderstanding, these conditions 

 were not fully realized in all cases, as will appear in the next 

 section. 



