10 
Bulletin 72. 
it, and not that I assert the actual flowing of this water to the east¬ 
ward through the plot, for the total lack of agreement in the 
amount of the total solids in the water of the different wells, there 
being only an approximate agreement when the wells were only 12 
feet from one another, indicates that the change of level was an 
actual rising and falling due to changes in pressure, mostly hydro¬ 
static, rather than to a flowing ip and mixing of other waters. If 
such took place above the water plane, we should expect to observe 
effects similar to those produced by the entrance of water from 
above as in the case of heavy rainfalls or irrigation. 
§ 25. I have not been able to detect any pushing along of the 
water, indicated by the amount of total solids in solution, nor yet 
by their composition. I thought to test this by the addition of a 
quantity of a lithium salt into one of the wells, but this experiment 
was a failure for reasons hereafter given. 
§ 26. The water soluble in the soil at various depths with 
high and low water plane, was not determined, but it is probable 
that the diminution of the total solids in solution was due to the re¬ 
moval of the salts from the solution and deposition of the salts in 
tne upper portions of the soil. The organic matter held in solu¬ 
tion fell with the total solids, judging by the loss on ignition, 
allowance being made for water which may have been present in 
gypsum. 
§ 27. The irrigation applied on June 29th was not a copious 
one, because we had only a small quantity of water at our disposal. 
Its effect on the height of the water plane did not reach its max¬ 
imum for several days. It was followed by an increase in the 
total solids in the water, but this was so irregular in its amount 
and in the time of its appearance that it is difficult to give an 
exact statement of it beyond the general one that an increase fol¬ 
lowed it. On the day previous to the application of irrigation 
water, the total solids in the water of well A were 2.8714 parts 
per thousand; five days later it carried 3.6871 parts, and twelve 
days after irrigation it reached 4.4443 parts. This quantity grad¬ 
ually decreased until just before the next irrigation it had fallen to 
2.5900 parts per thousand. 
§ 28. There was only a general similarity in the deportment 
of the wells, the individuality of the separate wells being very 
marked. In well B, for example, the total solids present just be¬ 
fore irrigation amounted to 2.9143 parts per thousand, which rose 
to 3.1000 parts, fell to 3.0000 parts, and then rose continuously for 
the next eight weeks while they were falling in the other wells. 
The subsequent, second irrigation caused an increase in the total 
solids in the water of all the wells, but it was verv much less in 
