Nov. 2o, 1916 Determination of Hygroscopic Coefficients of Soils 
349 
In Table IV are reported the data on a series of 36 loess soils, including 
the maximum water capacity, the hygroscopic coefficient calculated 
from the preceding by the Briggs-Shantz formula, and the departure of 
the calculated from the determined value, previously reported (1, p. 216). 
The samples were collected from 30 virgin prairie fields in Nebraska, 5 
near each of the 6 towns mentioned at the head of the columns. All 
were taken from fields classified by the Federal Bureau of Soils as 
“Marshall silt loam” or “Colby silt loam.” In each field 10 borings 
were made to a depth of 6 feet and composite samples prepared of each 
foot section, thus giving 6 samples from each field. From these were 
prepared the samples used in this work, each of the latter being prepared 
by mixing equal weights of the corresponding five field samples (1, p. 
204). Each value for the directly determined hygroscopic coefficients 
represents the average of 10 determinations (1, p. 214). 
Table XV.— Maximum water capacities of loess soils in Nebraska and the hygroscopic 
coefficients calculated from these by the Briggs-Shantz formula 
MAXIMUM WATER CAPACITY 
Depth. 
Wauneta. 
McCook. 
Holdrege. 
Hastings. 
Lincoln. 
Weeping 
Water. 
Average. 
Foot. 
I. 
2.. 
66.0 
64.4 
65-4 
63.0 
72. 0 
68.8 
69.7 
75-6 
69-5 
69.9 
73-5 
66.8 
69 -3 
68. 1 
3 ... 
61. 6 
60.6 
67.4 
73 - 5 
63-4 
62. 5 
64. 8 
4 . 
62. 2 
59-7 
61. 0 
70. I 
64. 2 
63- 7 
63- 5 
5 . 
59-4 
58.1 
61. 5 
67. O 
63- 4 
62. 3 
61. 9 
6. 
55-8 
57-8 
62. 7 
63. O 
66. 2 
60. 2 
60. 9 
Average.. 
6l.6 
60.8 
65.6 
69. 8 
66. 1 
64.8 
64.8 
CALCULATED HYGROSCOPIC COEFFICIENT 
1. 
11. 3 
11. 9 
11. 4 
11-3 
12. 3 
11. 4 
2. 
10.1 
9.8 
11. 2 
12. 8 
11. 4 
10. 7 
11. 0 
3 . 
9* 5 
9.2 
10. 8 
12. 3 
9- 5 
9- 7 
10. 2 
4 . 
9.6 
9.0 
9-4 
n- 5 
10. 1 
10. 0 
9.9 
5 . 
8.9 
8.8 
9* 5 
10. 6 
9.9 
9.6 
9-5 
6. 
8. 1 
. 8-3 
9- 7 
9.8 
10. 6 
9. 2 
9-4 
Average.. 
9.6 
9-2 
10. 4 
11. 4 
10. 5 
10. 2 
10. 2 
DEPARTURE OF CALCULATED FROM DETERMINED HYGROSCOPIC COEFFICIENT 
1 . 
2. 2 
o -3 
1.8 
2. 8 
-0. 7 
0. 2 
1. 1 
2 . 
• 5 
— 1. 1 
. 0 
1. 2 
- 3 -° 
“ 3 * 0 
*9 
3 .. 
— . 2 
-i-S 
- • 5 
— . 1 
-4. 1 
-4. 2 
-1.7 
4 .. 
- -3 
~ • 7 
- .8 
- 4 
-2.9 
-3.0 
— 1. 2 
5 . 
— . 1 
- -3 
— . 1 
— . 1 
-2.9 
- 3 -o 
— 1.1 
6 . 
— . 2 
- .8 
•3 
- -9 
—2. 1 
- 3-3 
— 1. 2 
Average .. 
•3 
“ -7 
. 1 
• 5 
—2. 6 
-2.8 
- .8 
