New Yoke Agricultural Experimeot Station. 
115 
The Height of Watee in Wells. 
As having a possible bearing upon some of the phenomena connected 
with the movements of soil water, a series of measurements has been 
made during the past year, of the height of the water in an aban- 
doned well near the station buildings. This well, which is forty feet 
in depth, is situated near the top of a ridge of such a height that in 
three directions it is necessary to go but a few hundred feet before 
reaching land that lies lower than the bottom of the well, while in the 
other direction is a railroad cut, the bottom of which is but slightly 
above that of the well. It would appear therefore that the water in 
this well must be sustained almost entirely by the capillary attraction 
exerted by the soil. 
The measurements commenced December 3, 1886, and have been 
continued daily until the present time (November 15, 1887). In 
the table below is given the distance from the curb to the surface of 
the water on the 3d of December, and on the first day of each month 
thereafter, and also the rainfall of the preceding month in inches: 
DATE. 
December 1 
January 1 . . 
February 1. 
March 1 . . . 
April 1 
May 1 
June 1 
July 1 
August 1 . . . 
September 1 
October 1 . . 
November 1 
The figures have some interest as showing to what extent the soil 
water was depleted through evaporation during the summer and 
autumn months, notwithstanding the rainfall. The water in the well 
rose rapidly during December, and continued to rise more or less 
until May 3d, at which time it was 9 feet 1 inch higher than on 
December 3d, having risen on the average about three-fourths of an 
inch per day. From this time it commenced to fall, and has con- 
tinued to recede almost without intermission until the present time 
(November 15), when the surface is 16 feet 1 inch below the curb 
Distance to 
water. 
feet, inches. 
13 
2 
3.48 
6 
4 
1.24 
5 
8 
.18 
4 
10i 
2.97 
5 
Of 
.48 
4 
n 
1.37 
6 
10 
.46 
9 
2 
2.01 
10 
*i 
6.37 
11 
3 
3.03 
13 
.75 
15 
41 
1.74 
Rainfall of 
preceeding 
month. 
