DISTRIBUTION OF MOISTURE IN SOIL COLUMNS. 5 
TABLE 2.—Wilting points and moisture equivalents of the soils used. 
Soil. Wilting | Moisture 
point. equivalent. 
Per cent. Per cent 
emeemeteneml: —btgws: 2 3- 392952) 22 - 220s. 5 edi. 253. eke 4. 7.9 
8 ST aE RRR ESSE Be PS a ee ee ae ae ee 20. 8 38.3 
SREIMESMOM SOM 2 See oe ef van lac cea noel eke sk dladseb neces alee eens ee eae eee 2.5 4.7 
Repeineen ASE) SOU hs 8 to Ge Le «Seon see rd Ae ee ee ea Or, ee ee 9.9 | 18.3 
SE TANDES, SW ays Scns cguslagllioriazage, SI 2 5 ple epee ion gl ee ce aaa» Pale) Releaoasen aaa’ 11.30 | 20. 80 
SeetentaGininirloain) soley . 2 Fey’ 225. TS. ELIA LL Le 12.05 22. 23 
A considerable difference in the. characteristics of the soils is de- 
noted by the two factors, and it is worthy of note that the Santa 
Clara and Cache Valley soils, the characteristics of which are similar 
according to these factors, are greatly different in appearance. 
PLAN OF EXPERIMENTS. 
The plan of the present experiments was to determine the dis- 
tribution of capillary moisture in vertical, horizontal, and inclined 
soil columns. ‘The soil of each column was uniform throughout, but 
different soil types were used for different tests. The columns re- 
mained in position for various lengths of time from a few minutes to 
several weeks before samples for moisture determinations were taken. 
The tubes, or containers which held the soil, were nickel-plated 
brass tubing such as is used by plumbers. Two sizes were used, 1} 
and 14 inches, respectively, in diameter, and each size was cut into 
1-inch lengths with milled ends. Thus when one of the 1-inch pieces 
was placed upon another there was a snug, dirt-proof, but not air- 
tight, joint between them. The bottom section of each tube had 
soldered over the lower end a piece of,fine-mesh brass wire gauze to 
hold the soil in the tube when the lower end of the column was 
submerged in a vessel of water. In some cases the joints be- 
tween the 1-inch sections were sealed by wrapping with friction tape; 
in others they were left unsealed. Two strips of wood nailed to- 
gether in the shape of a small trough, to which the sections of tubing 
were secured by friction tape, acted as a support or stiffener for the 
column. When the joints of the tube were not sealed with the fric- 
tion tape the tubing was held to the wooden angle by a second angle 
made of heavy galvanized iron. 
FILLING SOIL TUBES. 
Several methods of compacting the soil into the tubes were tried 
with a view of eliminating, if possible, any error caused by nonuni- 
form packing. In some tubes sufficient soil was added at a time to 
fill three of the 1-inch sections. The whole tube was then lifted, 
while in a vertical position, about 5 inches from the floor and allowed 
to drop to the floor. This lifting and dropping was repeated three 
times for each layer of soil added. Thus the tube was filled layer by 
layer to the desired height. In several instances two tubes were 
filled with the same soil in this way and one of them turned end for 
end before being placed with one end in the vessel of water. These 
two tubes, one having the end that was filled first in the water and 
the other having the end filled last in the water, should, when com- 
pared by analysis, indicate any lack of uniformity due to packing. 
