52 
Journal of Agricultural Research 
Vol. IX, No, a 
Table XVII .—Distribution of water in cylinders filled with soil containing a percentage 
of water approximately equal to the hygroscopic coefficient. To the bottom of each soil 
column enough water was added to raise the average water content to one and one-half 
times the hygroscopic coefficient after which the cylinders were allowed to stand from 
74 to 115 days 
Soil No. 
item. 
A. 
B. 
C. 
D. 
E. 
G. 
H. 
I. 
J- 
K. 
L. 
M. 
Soil: 
Hygroscopic coefficient. 
13-3 
12.9 
10. s 
10.2 
10.1 
8.3 
7.6 
7*1 
5*6 
3*4 
3*4 
3*3 
Initial water, per cent «. 
13 -a 
13*1 
12.0 
13*4 
9.9 
8.0 
9.0 
8.4 
5*6 
4*3 
4*5 
4*3 
Initial ratio. 
1.0 
1.0 
I. I 
1.3 
1.0 
1.0 
1.2 
I. 2 
1.0 
1.3 
I* 3 
1* 3 
Water applied, inches.. 
2.11 
3.12 
I. 21 
.90 
1.42 
i* 58 
1.28 
.60 
.89 
*33 
.27 
•33 
Moisture equivalent.... 
29-5 
25.8 
24.1 
27.8 
22. s 
21.2 
19.7 
16.8 
13* S 
7*5 
7.2 
7*9 
Time..days.. 
US 
74 
107 
115 
107 
107 
107 
107 
107 
107 
73 
107 
Final water content (per 
cent): 
Depth— 
1 inch. 
10.9 
12.6 
9*9 
9*8 
8.0 
8.0 
7*5 
6*5 
4*7 
3*7 
3 *i 
2.9 
. 3 inches. 
ii -3 
12.6 
10. 2 
10. s 
8.4 
8.4 
7*6 
6.9 
4.9 
4.0 
3*1 
2.8 
3 inches...T........ 
11. 7 
13- 5 i 
10. 3 
n. 1 
8.9 
8.9 
8.0 
7 * 3 
S* 1 
4.1 
3.1 
3* 6 
4 inches. 
11.8 
IS* 1 
10. 7 
11.7 
9*2 
9.4 
8.4 
7.6 
5*2 
4*3 
3 * S 
3*4 
5 inches. 
12.1 
16.6 
11.4 
12.1 
9*6 
10.4 
8.9 
7*8 
5*3 
4*4 
3*5 
3*6 
6 inches. 
12.4 
18.3 
11.8 
12.5 
10.1 
11.1 
9*5 
8.2 
5*6 
4*4 
4*0 
3*9 
7 inches. 
12.6 
18.9 
12.3 
12. s 
10. 7 
ii *5 
10.0 
8.4 
5*7 
4*3 
3*9 
4*1 
8 inches. 
13*0 
19*6 
12.4 
12.8 
u *3 
11. 5 
10.7 
8.7 
5*9 
4*6 
3*9 
4.2 
9 inches... 
20.1 
12*8 
12.0 
12. 5 
13 * 1 
11. < 
8.7 
6. 5 
A . 7 
1,0 
4.4 
10 inches. 
O J 
14. O 
20. 4 
13.5 
13.2 
13. 8 
13 * 4 
■**j 
12.5 
8.8 
7.3 
4 * 7 
O 7 
4 * 3 
4 * 5 
11 inches. 
IS* 1 
20. 7 
14* 9 
13 * 4 
14.6 
13.9 
13 * I 
9.0 
7.9 
S*o 
4 * 3 
4.4 
13 inches..... 
16.5 
31 . 2 
16.1 
13*7 
IS* 7 
14*4 
13 * S 
9*3 
8*3 
5*3 
4.4 
4*5 
13 inches. 
l8. 3 
21.9 
17*0 
14 * S 
16.2 
14.8 
14*2 
9*7 
8.9 
5*2 
4*5 
46 
14 inches. 
I9.9 
22.3 
17.8 
I 5 *i 
17.0 
150 
14*4 
10.4 
9*3 
5*4 
4*7 
4*5 
is inches. 
21. 2 
22.9 
18.8 
16. 2 
17*2 
15 * S 
15*0 
11.4 
9.9 
5*6 
4.9 
4*8 
16 inches. 
22*3 
23.O 
19*3 
17.4 
17*3 
IS* 8 
IS* 2 
12.3 
10.0 
5*9 
5*2 
5 *o 
17 inches. 
23* 3 
23* 3 
19. 7 
18.8 
18.0 
16.3 
IS* 7 
13. 9 
IO. 2 
6- 3 
5 * 7 
5 * 7 
18 inches. 
23.8 
23*4 
30 . I 
19.6 
18.3 
16.6 
16.0 
13 * I 
10.5 
6.6 
5*6 
6*5 
19 inches. 
24. 2 
23*7 
30 . 5 
30 . 8 
18.8 
17.0 
16.4 
14.0 
10.3 
6.9 
5*8 
7.0 
30 inches. 
24 , 9 
24.1 
21. O 
21. 6 
19.2 
17.3 
16.8 
14. 4 
IO. K 
7,3 
6.1 
7 * 3 
31 inches. 
25*3 
24.O 
21. I 
22.4 
19.4 
17*3 
17 * 1 
14.6 
10, 7 
7*4 
5*9 
8.1 
33 inches. 
25*7 
24.1 
21. 7 
22.8 
19.4 
17*4 
17 * 1 
15*0 
11.7 
7*4 
6*3 
8.0 
33inches... 
25*9 
24.1 
21.8 
23 * S 
19.6 
17 * S 
17 * 1 
IS* 0 
11.9 
7*4 
6.4 
8.2 
34 inches. 
26. 2 
24. 3 
32.0 
23* S 
19.4 
17*4 
17 * 1 
iS*o 
11.9 
7.2 
6.2 
8.0 
Average, 1 to 34 
inches. 
18.2 
20.4 
l6. I 
16.0 
14.7 
13*8 
13*0 
10.6 
8.3 
5*5 
4*7 
5*3 
Average, 1 to 12 
inches. 
12.9 
17 * S 
12. 2 
12.3 
11.1 
11.2 
10.1 
8.1 
6.0 
4*5 
3*8 
3*9 
Average, 13 to 24 
inches. 
23*4 
23*4 
20. I 
19.7 
18.3 
16.5 
16.0 
13*2 
io.$ 
6.6 
5*6 
6*5 
a Some moisture was lost from the surface of the soil columns immediately after they were filled. 
The distribution of moisture is just the reverse of that in the parallel 
experiment (Table XIV) with the same series of soils, the effect of 
the influence of gravity having disappeared during the prolonged ex¬ 
posure. The similarity is best shown by a comparison of the ratio of 
the final moisture content to the hygroscopic coefficient (Table XVIII), 
in which the data are so arranged as to facilitate comparison with those 
in Table XV. The similarity is striking, the soils which in the one 
show a low final ratio in the sections of the soil column nearest the 
point of application of the water showing a similar ratio in the other. 
The movement had been so alike in both experiments that the final 
distribution of the moisture appears independent of the direction through 
which the water had had to move, and we might regard the moisture 
conditions shown by either, aside from the dry sections in the latter 
experiment due to the error in procedure, to represent those for the 
particular soil, no matter what angle the axis of the column may make 
with the perpendicular. 
