Which soils have the greater power to absorb or pump moisture from below?

=Experiment.=—­Use the same or a similar set of tubes as in the experiment illustrated in Fig. 23.  Fill the tubes with the same kinds of dry sifted soils.  Then pour water into the pan or dish beneath the tubes until it rises a quarter of an inch above the lower end of the tubes (Fig. 24).  Watch the water rise in the soils.  The water will be found to rise rapidly in the sand about two or three inches and then stop or continue very slowly a short distance further.  In the clay it starts very slowly, but after several hours is finally carried to the top of the soil.  The organic matter takes it up less rapidly than the sand, faster than the clay, and finally carries it to the top.  By this and further experiments it will be found that the power of soils to take moisture from below depends on their texture or the size and closeness of their particles.

We found the sand pumped the water only a short distance and then stopped.

What can we do for our sandy soils to give them greater power to take moisture from below?  For immediate results we can compact them by rolling or packing.  This brings the particles closer together, makes the spaces between them smaller, and therefore allows the water to climb higher.  For more lasting results we can fill them with organic matter in the shape of stable manures or crops turned under.  Clay may be used, but is expensive to haul.

Which soils have greatest power to hold the water which enters them?

=Experiment.=—­Use the same or similar apparatus as for the last experiment.  After placing the cloth caps over the ends of the tubes label and carefully weigh each one, keeping a record of each; then fill them with the dry soils and weigh again.  Now place the tubes in the rack and pour water in the upper ends until the entire soil is wet; cover the tops and allow the surplus water to drain out; when the dripping stops, weigh the tubes again, and by subtraction find the amount of water held by the soil in each tube; compute the percentage.  It will be found that the organic matter will hold a much larger percentage of water than the other soils; and the clay more than the sand.  The tube of organic soil will actually hold a larger amount of water than the other tubes. (See also Fig. 25.)

In the experiment on page 40 we noticed that the sand took in the water poured on its surface and let it run through very quickly.  This is a fault of sandy soils.

What can we do for our sandy soils to help them to hold better the moisture which falls on them and tends to leach through them?  For immediate effect we can close the pores somewhat by compacting the soil with the roller.  For more lasting effects, we can fill them with organic matter.

Which soils will hold longest the water which they have absorbed?  Or which soils will keep moist longest in dry weather?