Field Texture Test

In this short practical we practised two methods which can determine a soils texture by hand. It is simple and very useful. 

Method : 

1. take a small sample of the soil to fit in the palm of the hand, discarding any gravel bits. 

2. moisten soil with water, little by little, and start to work the soil in the hand like dough until there is no apparent change in feel. This usually takes several minutes. 

3. Inspect the sample to see if any sand is present. Rub a little of the sample next to ears to listen for the sound of sand grains. 

4. Squeeze sample hard to see if it forms a ball (cast). See whether the cast holds or falls apart. 

5. Finally squeeze sample between thumb and first finger to form a ribbon using a sliding motion. Note the length of the self-supporting ribbon. 

6. Refer to table for a suggestion of its texture (ranges from sand to heavy clay). 

On this testing, the patch of soil used was from the top vegetable growing area and seemed to fit the description of a sandy clay loam.