Appendices - Soil Essentials: Managing Your Farm's Primary Asset - page 164

Appendix 19. Physical properties of soil

Property Coarse sand Fine sand Silt Clay

Water holding capacity very low medium high very high

Capillarity very low medium good very good

Drainage rate very fast moderate slow very slow

Nutrient absorption capacity very low low moderate high

Cohesion and plasticity none very low moderate high

Ease of compaction very low low moderate high

Inherent fertility very low low moderate high

Aeration very good moderate poor very poor

Relative temperature warm cool cold very cold

Ease of pollutant leaching very high good moderate low