Absorptive Properties of Soils. 
503 
present attem])ting to explain this circumstance, I pass on to 
experiments that were made with other soils. 
Experiment No. 14. 
Soil No. 17 -2,000 grs. 
Lime-water (1-449).. .. 28,000 „ 
A portion drawn off after 1 hour's digestion. 
First Analysis — 
Caiboniite of [,imc. 
1500 grs gave 1-99 .. .. equal to 0- 743 lime in 1000 grs. 
Second Analysis — 
1500 grs ,, 2-0-2 .. .. ,, 0-753 „ 
Mean of the two Analyses .. .. 0-74S ,, 
Equal to 20 944 grs. in 28,000 grs. 
The lime in the lime-water previous to the experiment 
at 1-449 in 1000, was 40-572 
Ditto alter 1 hour's digestion with the soil 20-944 
Absorption by 2000 grs. soil 19-6-28 
Or an absorption of 9-812 by 1000 gi-s. 
Experiment No. 15. 
, A second portion drawn off after 24 hours' digestion. 
First Analysis — 
Carbonnte of Lime. 
1500 grs gave 1-84 equal to 0- 700 lime in 1000 
Second Analysis — 
1500 gi-s gave 1-85 ,, 0-701 „ 
Mean of the two Experiments .. 0-7005 ., 
Or 19-614 in 28,000 grs. 
The lime in the lime-water before experiment 
was 40-572 
Ditto after 24 hours' digestion 19-614 
Alisorptiou bv 2000 ars 20-958 
Or 10-4'79 by 1000. 
It is probably unnecessary to quote any more of the same kind 
of experiments ; they all go to show the same thing, namely, that 
although the greater part of the absorption of lime, that is to 
say, its union with the soil, takes place at once, a certain action 
still goes on for some time afterwards, although in a decreasing 
rate. It is probahle that the second peculiarity exhibited by 
these experiments, namely, that the stronger the lime-water the 
greater is the amount taken up by the soil, is closely connected 
with the first-named circumstance ; since, as lime was withdrawn 
the solution would continue to get weaker, and the action would 
become correspondingly slow ; but tlie stronger the lime-water 
in tlie first instance the more it would yield to the soil before it 
