53 2 
Journal of Agricultural Research 
Vol. XI, No. ii 
REVIEW OF LITERATURE 
Muntz and Gaudedion, 1 several years ago conducted extensive ex¬ 
periments to determine the extent of the movement of sodium nitrate 
and potassium chlorid in soils, losses of water by evaporation being 
prevented. When crystals of sodium nitrate or potassium chlorid were 
placed in a light silicious soil of low water content, the soil containing 
the salt crystals gradually became moist at the expense of the surround¬ 
ing soil. After eight days the changes in the water content of the soil 
receiving sodium nitrate were found to be as follows: 
Effect of salt on water movement in the soil 
Per cent 
Water content of soil when placed in container. 3. 2 
Water content of soil containing a salt after 8 days. 7. 3 
Water content of surrounding soil after 8 days. 2.6 
Moreover, seed were placed in the salted layer of soil and also in the 
surrounding mass. Germination was retarded in the one region by the 
high concentration of the soil solution, and in the other by lack of moist¬ 
ure. These authors maintain that when salt is added to a homogeneous 
mass of soil two systems result: One in which the vapor pressure is high 
and the other in which it is lower. As a result distillation of water takes 
place from the one to the other. 
Analyses of samples of the soil taken at different distances from the 
point of application of the salts revealed that the moyement of the same 
was negligible, even after 15 days. In another experiment a garden 
soil which contained per cent of water, spoken of as being quite 
moist, was also used as the medium. Under these conditions the dis¬ 
tillation of water vapor did not take place; neither was the movement 
of the salts detected, 20 mm. from the point in which they were placed 
in the soil mass. 
The extent of the vertical movement was determined by half filling 
a box 40 cm. high and 11 cm. thick with light soil containing 16 per cent 
of water, depositing 5 gm. of sodium nitrate, and then filling the box 
with the soil. The loss of water by evaporation was prevented. After 
three days samples were taken and the nitrate content was determined. 
Movement of the salt had not proceeded through a distance of 40 mm. 
Similar results were obtained with a soil somewhat more moist where 
determinations of the nitrate content were made six days after the 
experiment was set up. 
Two glazed pots were filled with a sandy clay soil; one was gently, 
and the other heavily, compacted. Two gm. of powdered potassium 
chlorid were placed in the center of each, 15 mm. below the surface. 
Movement of the salt was found to have taken place to a slightly greater 
1 Muntz, and Gaudechon, H. de la difussion des engrais satins dans la terre. In Ann. Sd. 
Agron., s. 3, ann<* 4, t. 1, no. 5, p. 3 79-411, 30 fig. 1909. 
