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Old 09-02-2003, 11:25 PM
Radika Kesavan
 
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Default Clay one more time

Cass wrote:

I hope Bob pipes up on this.


I am not Bob, but am piping up anyhow :-).

I know that silts is measured as a component in some soil tests, and
a review of loam will show relative proportions of silt and clay.
Good points. But I do beg to differ on whether clay will dissolve, or
at least form a suspension in water. It will or does.


My memory from Colloidal Chemistry classes is that clay will form a
collodial suspension in water, and the one way to break this up is to
add electrolytes to the colloid. It is a memory from long ago. Also,
IIRC, this is the principle by which one washes leeks and spinach and
cilantro other muddy and leafy vegetables free of the clay and soil that
have coagulated on them as a thick colloidal suspension, by adding a
pich of salt to the wash water.

I thought that clay and silt were next to each other on the continuum
of particle size, with clay being the smallest.


I think you are right. Here is an interesting article:

http://audit.ea.gov.au/ANRA/land/doc.../tech29_01.pdf


--
Radika
California
USDA 9 / Sunset 15