ABSOIM'TION OF SAI.TS |!\' SOILS. 141 



The solution used was prepared gravimetrically from stock 

 chemicals to contain approximately the following amounts : 



Approximate composition of solution used. 



L':> | 2.') I 10 40 20 40 30 



This solution was analyzed in duplicate with these obtained 

 from the soils and the average of the two. analyses taken to rep- 

 resent the composition of the solution. 



Since the amount of solution applied to the soil was five times 

 the weight of the soil, the total salts added to the soil in this 

 way, in case they were all absorbed, would be, when expressed in 

 parts per million of the soil, five times that found in the solution. 



The treatment of the samples consisted in weighing into stop- 

 pered bottles 120 grams of the dry soils and 4 grams of carbon 

 black, to decolorize the solutions. To each sample was then 

 added 600 c. c, of solution and vigorously shaken during 3 min- 

 utes; and then allowed to stand 24 hours, but shaken, during 3 

 minutes, 10 times during that interval. 



The results which were obtained are given in the table which 

 follows, together with the amounts obtained from duplicate 

 samples, using distilled water instead of the solution. 



