Soil Compaction Determinations with a Soil Penetrometer as Compared with the Geiger Counter X‐ray Spectrometer 1

' I 'HE role of soil compaction, the relationship it -L bears to drainage and aeration, and the deleterious effect all have on plant growth are universally recognized. Compaction, in effect, destroys soil structure, i.e., decreases pore space and increases density. Reduced productivity as well as the failure of many agricultural soils to respond to fertilization may be directly attributed to soil compaction and the improper drainage and aeration associated with this condition. In no agricultural enterprise does soil compaction pose such a serious threat to plant growth as in the field of turf culture. This is particularly true on golf courses where player traffic and the use of high speed maintenance equipment subject the soil to constant packing. The fact that the clientele demand that the grasses be kept moist enough to hold a golf shot serves to intensify the compaction problem. Ferguson (3) states that observations made over a wide section of the United States indicate that soil compaction has been the major factor contributing to the loss of turf on golf greens.