[76] Ad. Mayer (Agriculturchemie 2, p. 141) designates this minimum content of liquid water as the “absolute” water capacity of the same; but it is not obvious wherein this factor is better entitled to this name than would be the maximum (see Wollny’s Forsch., 1892, p. 1.). M. Whitney (Rep. Proceedings Ass’n Agr. Coll. & Exp’t St’ns, Nov. 1904) gives as a new observation the fact that in soils approaching the drought condition water “does not obey the ordinary physical laws as we recognize them in capillarity.” This evidently refers simply to the well-known phenomenon mentioned above. _Capillary Water held at Different Heights in a Soil Column._—To determine the amounts of water held in the different portions in columns of soils in which water ascends by capillary rise, the following plan was adopted by the writer in collaboration with Loughridge (Rep. Calif. Sta. 1892-4, p. 99). Instead of glass tubes the soils to be tested were placed in copper tubes one inch in diameter, divided into segments six inches long, and flattened on one side. In the flattened side a slot half an inch wide was left, and glass plates, held in position by rubber elastics, were cemented on the slotted side by means of paraffin, to prevent a sifting-out of the soil. The short sections can be connected at the ends like joints of stove-pipe, and the earths can be easily introduced in proper, even condition. It was thus possible to gain access to any portion of the column at any time, for the taking of samples. WATER CONTENTS OF SOIL COLUMNS AT VARIOUS HEIGHTS ABOVE WATER LEVEL. ==================+===========+===============+================ No. | 233 | 1197 | 1679 ------------------+-----------+---------------+---------------- Height above Water|Sandy Soil,|Sandy Alluvium,|Adobe, Berkeley. Level. | Morano. | Gila. | ------------------+-----------+---------------+---------------- 47 inches | | 4.33 | 42 inches | | 10.26 | 36 inches | | 11.99 | 30 inches | | 15.26 | 24 inches | | 21.39 | 10.26[77] 18 inches | | 27.63 | 29.48 12 inches | 3.93 | 32.48 | 33.04 6 inches | 14.15 | 35.04 | 38.47 3 inches | | | 38.49 1 inch | 24.34 | 36.64 | 44.41 ------------------+-----------+---------------+---------------- [77] This figure represents only a temporary condition; the full height of 46 inches was not reached until the 195th day.