112 
Keport of the Horticulturist of the 
Experiments to Determine Whether or Not the Rate of Absorption in 
the Soil is in Proportion to Its Dryness. 
That our hypothesis, that the rate at which soil absorbs water is in 
proportion to its dryness, is correct, is rendered probable though not 
proved, by the following tests: 
In the first trial, a pie se of air dry terra-cotta was immersed 
repeatedly for a period of fifteen seconds in spring water, at a tem- 
perature of 44°, until it ceased to gain weight, and after each immer- 
sion placed under a bell glass for two hours or longer to allow the 
water absorbed to equalize through the mass. It was weighed imme- 
diately before and after each immersion, and the gain in weight noted. 
A second trial was made with two absolutely dry bricks, in the 
same manner, except that the bricks were immersed thirty instead of 
fifteen seconds. These materials were chosen because, while being of 
a similar nature to soil, they do not slack in water. The amounts of 
water in grams absorbed at each immersion were as follows: 
ad 
Ti O 
AMOUNT OF WATER ABSORBED IN THE — 
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Terra cotta 
Brick No. l. 
Brick No. 2 . 
33.25 
190. 5 
107. 2 
24.9 
58.1 
72.5 
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Eh 
20.1 19.5 
13.5 32.2 
51.7 27.5 
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16.8 
7.8 
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10.5 
11.8 
•§d 
m o 
a 
8.6 


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5.7 
t.2 
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It appears that the amount absorbed in brick No. 1 did not decrease 
regularly with each immersion. This brick appeared to absorb 
moisture from the other one while the two were in contact, under the 
bell glass. At least No. 2 lost moisture under the bell glass, while 
No. 1 sometimes gained. This may account for the irregularity. 
In the third trial, the instrument used for measuring absorption 
from the. soil, already described, was placed in a cylindrical glass jar, 
about seven inches inside diameter, and twelve inches in depth, the 
jar being filled to the top with air-dried garden soil that had been 
pulverized, and passed through a sieve containing 100 meshes to the 
inch. The instrument was set in the soil at such a depth that the 
top of the terra-cotta cylinder was about two inches below the surface. 
A circular piece of oil-cloth was fitted about the instrument, and tied 
over the top of the jar, in order to exclude evaporation, and the jar 
was placed in a close tank-room beneath the barn, where the atmo- 
sphere is very moist. The trial commenced July 25, and at date 
(November 14), is still in progress. The absorption was recorded 
