32 
Journal of Agricultural Research 
Vol. IX, No. 2 
According to Ramann (21, p. 343),— 
it is to be assumed that the capillary elevation of water is much more active in loess 
soils than with any other kind of soil.—Translation. 
Six of the above soils are loess. 
In Table I are reported the hygroscopic coefficient, the moisture 
equivalent (7, p. 140), the maximum water capacity as determined by 
the Hilgard method, and the total nitrogen. 
Table I .—Properties of soils used in the experiments 
Soil. 
Total 
nitrogen. 
Hygro¬ 
scopic 
coefficient. 
Moisture 
equiva¬ 
lent. 
1 
Ratio of 
moisture 
equivalent 
to hygro¬ 
scopic 
coefficient. 
Maximum 
water 
capacity. 
Loess soil from near Lincoln: 
Per ct. 
Per ct . 
Surface D . 
0. 244 
IO. 2 
27. 8 
2. 73 
60. 9 
Subsoil A . 
. 049 
13*3 
29. 5 
2. 22 
65-7 
Loess soil from near McCook: 
Surface C. 
. 104 
10. 5 
24. 1 
2. 30 
63. 7 
Subsoil G. 
. 029 
8.2 
21. 2 
2. 59 
55-4 
Loess soil from near Culbertson: 
Surface E . 
. 079 
IO. I 
22. 5 
2. 23 
56.8 
Subsoil H. 
. 018 
7. 6 
19. 7 
2* 59 
57 * 2 
“Hard land” (residual) from near Im¬ 
perial: 
Surface I. 
. 106 
7 . 1 
16. 8 
2. 37 
C 3 . 4 
Subsoil K . 
. 016 
7. A 
7-5 
2. 21 
DO 
36.0 
“Sandy land” (residual) from near Im¬ 
O* T 
perial: 
Surface M . 
• 077 
3*3 
7.9 
2.39 
34*2 
Subsoil L . 
■ 023 
V 4 
7.2 
2.12 
31.0 
“Hard land” from near Madrid: 
Subsoil J. 
. 021 
5 • 6 
13 * 5 
2.41 
4&3 
Dune sand from Dunning: 
Subsoil Q. 
. 008 
0. 6 
25.8 
Arizona soil: 
Surface B. 
.088 
12. 9 
25-8 
2.00 
60. 3 
METHOD OF FILLING AND OPENING CYLINDERS 
In bringing a soil to the desired moisture content we placed a weighed 
quantity of the air-dried soil, of which the moisture content had pre¬ 
viously been determined, upon a large sheet of oilcloth on the floor of 
the mixing room, and, while the mass was being shoveled over, added 
the calculated amount of water in small portions. The whole mass was 
then mixed thoroughly, first by shoveling, then by passing it twice 
through a swinging sieve of ^-inch mesh, and finally by again shoveling; 
then it was immediately placed in a large covered can, allowed to stand 
for several days, again passed through the swinging sieve, returned to 
the can, and kept in this until transferred to the cylinders. The per¬ 
centage of moisture thus secured was in the majority of cases from one- 
tenth to one-third higher than the hygroscopic coefficient, in the others 
it being nearer the desired amount. 
