The dispersion of soil in water under various conditions

A study has been made of the intensity of the forces binding soil particles together, when the soil has been previously subjected to treatments simulating various field conditions, and certain laboratory processes connected with physical, chemical and biological investigations.

The technique adopted consisted in shaking soil with water under reproducible conditions, allowing the mixture to stand for 24 hours, and then determining the concentration of soil in the top 8·5 cm. of the suspension. This concentration was expressed as a percentage of the original concentration of the soil, and the value thus obtained was called the dispersion factor of the soil under the given conditions of treatment.