15 
Table VI. — Effect of various salts and fertilizers on capillarity, the salts being added in 
molecular proportions. 
Salts and fertilizers. 
K2SO4 
KCl 
KNO3 
KaPO* 
KjCOs 
CaO 
CaS04 
CaCOs 
CaHP04 
MgO 
MgS04 
MgCOs 
Na8S04 
NaCl 
N,HP04 
NajCOs 
NaNOs 
NH4CI 
(NH4)2S04 
(NH4)N03 
Acid phosphate 
Superphosphate 
Slag 
Phosphate rock 
Cottonseed meal 
Blood 
Blood and acid phosphate . . 
Blood and superphosphate . 
Blood and K2SO4 
Acid phosphate and K2SO4. 
2(NBU)-14-2i 
2(NHi)-12-2i 
2(NH4)-l(>-2i 
l(NH4)-9-li 
l(NH4)-6-10i 
4(NH4)-ll-10i 
4.5(NH4)-23-0i 
2(N03)-14-22 
2(N03)-12-22 
Check 
Time in hours 
Weight 
per 200 
gm. soil. 
Gm. 
0.35 
.15 
.20 
.42 
.28 
.11 
.27 
.20 
.24 
.70 
.28 
.12 
.72 
.21 
.17 
.11 
.26 
.16 
.20 
.20 
.20 
.20 
.20 
.20 
.20 
.20 
.20 
.20 
.20 
.20 
.20 
.20 
.20 
.20 
.20 
.20 
.20 
Soil 
No. 488. 
Cm. 
45.9 
46.6 
48.8 
42.1 
44.8 
46.6 
46.3 
47.6 
45.2 
47.5 
47.2 
44.3 
45.4 
46.5 
45.9 
45.0 
45.5 
48.9 
40.0 
47.8 
45.4 
46.5 
46.8 
45.7 
44.6 
47.6 
47.1 
47.4 
47.9 
47.9 
47.1 
47.7 
46.8 
47.5 
47.6 
46.3 
47.7 
47.6 
46.8 
35.5 
24 
Soil 
No. 530. 
Cm. 
32.7 
33.4 
33.0 
31.1 
30.2 
35.0 
33.4 
34.8 
36.9 
34.9 
31.9 
31.3 
30.5 
35.2 
29.7 
27.2 
34.2 
32.8 
31.0 
34.0 
33.9 
37.4 
37.0 
35.7 
31.4 
34.8 
34.0 
36.8 
32.8 
35.4 
35.0 
34.5 
32.8 
34.3 
34.3 
33.5 
35.5 
33.3 
33.0 
39.2 
Soil 
No. 573. 
Cm. 
55.0 
55.3 
55. 7 
54.2 
54.9 
55.5 
56.2 
56.0 
55.5 
55.1 
54.2 
55.8 
54.0 
54.5 
54.7 
54.4 
53.7 
54.7 
55.2 
54.1 
54.9 
55.2 
54.4 
54.9 
54.8 
54.2 
55.5 
54.5 
55.4 
54.6 
55.9 
56.6 
56.9 
55.8 
55.9 
54.6 
54.6 
56.0 
55.9 
55.0 
24 
Soil 
No. 516. 
Cm. 
37.1 
39.0 
36.6 
34.1 
36.5 
36.9 
38.3 
35.8 
34.5 
36.2 
36.5 
37.1 
36.4 
36.4 
30.0 
34.7 
38.0 
37.8 
37.6 
38.5 
34.5 
35.2 
.35.4 
33.6 
33.4 
35.7 
36.2 
34.9 
36.0 
35.1 
37.5 
37.3 
37.1 
37.5 
36.1 
35.9 
37.0 
35.0 
35.8 
40.4 
8 
Soil 
No. 542. 
Cm. 
39.0 
39.1 
39.8 
36.7 
38.3 
40.7 
41.4 
42.9 
40.4 
40.3 
40.4 
41.7 
38.7 
41.3 
36.9 
40.0 
40.4 
41.7 
42.1 
42.6 
40.2 
40.5 
42.3 
42.0 
37.7 
41.7 
42.5 
42.9 
41.8 
40.7 
42.4 
42.3 
40.7 
42.0 
41.2 
40.9 
40.9 
41.9 
40.8 
44.9 
Soil 
No. 428. 
Cm. 
36.4 
35.1 
36.8 
34.7 
33.5 
37.8 
38.3 
37.6 
39.2 
37.0 
37.0 
37.0 
38.6 
37.1 
39.6 
36.2 
40.3 
39.1 
37.0 
38.1 
39.5 
40.0 
40.4 
39.9 
31.4 
40.3 
40.7 
39.0 
37.4 
39.8 
41.1 
41.5 
38.3 
39.6 
37.5 
28.0 
21 
Kao- 
lin. 
Cm. 
23.6 
25.4 
24.8 
23.3 
23.6 
26.1 
21.9 
25.2 
25.6 
24.7 
25.0 
26.5 
22.1 
23.6 
20.2 
21.2 
22.8 
25.7 
24.1 
25.9 
26.0 
25.7 
26.3 
26.6 
27.4 
21.6 
26.4 
26.7 
26.5 
24.6 
24.7 
26.8 
25.5 
24.6 
26.6 
23.9 
26.4 
24.5 
28.0 
26 
Sand. 
Cm. 
15.4 
16.2 
14.6 
17.5 
17.0 
10.8 
18.9 
12.8 
15.9 
14.5 
17.5 
23.0 
21.1 
16.7 
20.3 
18.7 
14.0 
13.9 
16.5 
14.4 
15.8 
15.8 
11.8 
15.0 
9.5 
11.7 
14.2 
15.8 
12.1 
14.2 
14.8 
15.3 
14.1 
12.2 
12.9 
13.9 
13.3 
12.8 
14.2 
12.9 
24 
1 Fertilizer mixtures supplying nitrogen (in ammonium sulphate), phosphoric acid, and potash in the 
order and proportions (percentages) given. 
2 Fertilizer mixtures similar to those referred to in footnote 1 except that nitrogen was supplied in 
sodium nitrate. 
The accompanying curve (fig. 2) illustrates the effect of the fertilizers 
on capillarity more clearly than the table. 
Effect on silica sand. — Here it is possible to explain most of the 
results by applying the knowTi effects of salts upon the capillary 
activity of their solvents. Inorganic salts increase, and organic sub- 
stances retard, the rise of water. The principal exceptions to this 
rule are calcium oxid and slag. 
Effect on soils Nos. 428 and 448. — With these soils the rate of rise 
in moisture is quite rapid at first, decreasing to a very slow rise in a 
short time. All organic and inorganic substances added produced an 
increase in rate of capillarity within the time limits of the experi- 
ment. These soils have a coarse texture, contain a high percentage of 
organic matter and of hygroscopic and combined water, and hence 
indicate the relation of these properties to the capillary activity of 
soil extracts. 
