CAPILLARY MOVEMEXT OF SOIL MOISTUEE. 27 
Table 11 is interesting from the fact that at the end of the first 
few days the use of water by the flumes containing the lighter soils 
is greater than for the flumes containing the heavier soils. The use 
of water by flume 50, containing the Whittier soil, is, after the first 
few days, considerably slower than that by flume 200, containing the 
light sandy Idaho soil. This fact is of importance and confirms the 
observations in nature of the excessive loss by capillarity in convey- 
ing channels constructed through sandy soils. This table, in con- 
nection with figure 3, indicates the extensive and long-continued 
capillary action in a horizontal direction in the lighter soils. 
DISTRIBUTION OF MOISTURE IX HORIZONTAL FLUMES. 
In considering the distribution of moisture in horizontal flumes 
open on top to evaporation, it is difficult to obtain uniform comparable 
results. This is clue to the fact that the flumes were exposed to the 
natural changes of meteorological condition and many of them were 
in operation during the extremes of temperature. Another fact that 
is of primary importance is the effect of temperature upon the vertical 
distribution of moisture within the flume. With temperatures near 
the freezing point and with the soil containing about its maximum 
capillary capacity of moisture, a distribution of moisture is found in 
the soil differing materially from the distribution in the same soil 
with higher temperatures. It is not thought, therefore, of value in 
presenting a few data to attempt any specific calculations, but only 
general comments are made. 
In Table 15 the first column gives the date on which the sample 
was taken; the second column gives the distance along the top of the 
flume, measured from the intersection of the top line of the* flume and 
a vertical extension of the inside of the vertical part of the wick. 
This point is 19^ inches above the water surface, measured along the 
upper side of the wick, The third column gives percentages of 
moisture at the various points for the top 5 inches of the flume, and 
the fourth column for the bottom 5 inches of the flume, The fifth col- 
umn gives the average percentages of moisture at the various points. 
Taking the average percentages of moisture in flume 31 at the same 
point and on different elates, it is found that the percentage of mois- 
ture gradually increases until the warmer weather in June. After 
that time there may be a slight decrease in percentages of moisture 
at the different points. Taking a sample at the 9-inch point, we find 
this to be true and that the percentage of moisture on June 10 had 
decreased about 2.2 per cent from what it was on May 23, Compar- 
ing the percentage of moistures for the top 5 inches of soil at the 
9-inch point, we find that throughout the entire time there was a 
gradual increase in the percentage of moisture, while* the bottom 5 
increased in moisture content until April and then decreased. 
