Water Holding Capacity of Soils aided by the Use of Peat Moss 
Recent scientific experiments tend to prove that the addition of peat 
moss J;o soils materially aids the constancy of water supply, as well 
as.increasing the maximum amount of water soils will hold. It is 
evident from the preliminary work already done, and which serves as a 
basis for arriving at this conclusion, that this soil amendment is a 
most satisfactory means of building up the water-holding capacity of 
garden soils to the desired point. 
Tables 1 and 2, a summary of the early determinations, show the stead¬ 
ily increasing amounts of total water heavy, and light soils will hold 
when blended with varying amoimts of peat moss, and serves as a basis 
for arriving at the conclusion regarding the effectiveness and the 
economical feasibility of the particular type organic matter. 
Table 1 - Water-holding capacity at saturation, of clay soil 
as effected by varying percentages of peat moss. 
( Expressed on basis of dry weight of sample ) 
$ Peat Moss 
Water-holding capacity of 
Water-holding capacity 
by Volume 
clay soil at saturation 
with peat moss added 
25/ 
34/ 
49/ 
50/ 
(J 
73/ 
75/ 
H 
169$ 
Table 2 - 
Water-holding capacity of sandy 
soil as effected 
by varying percentages of peat moss. 
( Expressed on basis of dry weight of sample ) 
$ Peat Moss 
Water-holding capacity of 
Water-holding capacity 
by Volume 
sandy soil at saturation 
with peat moss added 
25/ 
20.5/ 
38/ 
50/ 
If 
70/ 
75/ 
H 
141/ 
These tests suggest the promising water supply that may be had through 
amending soils with peat moss. Table 1 shows a definite increase in 
the total water held in heavy clay soil when the organic material is 
added and, the data in Table 2 shows clearly the favorable effects of 
the addition of peat moss to soils of a sandy nature. 
With the addition of as little as 25$ peat moss, the water-holding 
capacity of the heavy clay soil, which at the start had a* capacity 
of 34$ at saturation, was raised to approximately 50$; while in the 
case of the sandy so'il, with a capacity at saturation of only 20.5$, 
the water-holding capacity was raised to nearly 40$; twice the amount 
of total water. SINCE THE MIXTURES WERE COMPUTE!) ON A VOLUME BASIS, 
25$ PEAT MOSS IN THE MIXTURE MEANS ONE PART OP PEAT MOSS AND THREE 
PARTS OP BASIC SOIL. IN THE GARDEN IT MEANS TWO INCHES OP PEAT MOSS.* 
MIXED WITH SIX INCHES OP SOIL. 
That the constancy of water supply in the soil, as well as the total 
amount, is an important factor in plant growth, is well known. It is 
only one of the reasons why irrigation produces bigger crops even in 
2 ) 
