THE PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF SOILS 



STOCK SOILS 



Unless otherwise stated, the soils called for in 

 these exercises will be found in the bins in the soil- 

 handling room opening off from the main laboratory. 

 The soils used consist of (i) sand, (2) sandy loam, 

 (3) loam, or silt, (4) muck, and (5) clay. 



1. Sand — clean lake or river sand. 



2. Sandy Loam — a loam with sufficient sand to 



make open mellow soil. 



3. Loam or Silt — heavier type than No. 2, con- 



taining more silt and less sand. 



4. Muck — well-drained swamp soil containing a 



large quantity of organic matter. 



5. Clay — a heavy, sticky soil containing a large 



amount of clay. 



The soils are prepared by drying and pulverizing 

 until they pass through a 2 mm. sieve. The different 

 grades of sand are prepared by passing the lake sand 

 through a series of sieves. 



The mechanical analysis of each soil is given on the 

 card attached to the bin. These analyses should be 

 recorded on the following page and referred to fre- 

 quently in interpreting the results obtained in the 

 laboratory. Use the co-ordinate paper to make a 

 graphic representation of the mechanical composition 

 of the soils. 



