You will need: a shovel (preferrably sharpened), a trowel, 2 or 3 quart sized jars with lids, a measuring cup, marker, a clock or watch, dishwashing liquid, water
Dig a hip-wide hole three feet deep. The soil will change colors as you dig down. Make a separate pile of the different layers. First will be topsoil which contains the most organic matter. It should be 6 - 12 inches deep. If you get to a place where it is very difficult to dig and no roots have penetrated the layer, then stop digging. Chances are you have hit solid clay.
Take one pint of soil from a layer. Put it into a jar. Use separate jars for each layer. Remove any roots or rocks. Break it up as finely as possible.
Use the marker (or masking tape) to mark the depth of the dirt on the jar.
Fill jar with water to within one inch of the top. Add one teaspoon of ordinary dishwashing liquid.
Seal the jar and shake hard. Shake for 5-10 minutes. Shake until every little particle separates from every other little particle.
Stop shaking and immediately set the jar in a place where it will not be disturbed, preferrably in bright light.
After exactly 2 minutes, look closely (you can use a flashlight). Whatever soil has settled on the bottom is your sand fraction. Mark the depth on the side of the jar.
After 2 hours from the time you stopped shaking, take another look. Make another mark. That is your silt fraction.
Whatever is left floating in the jar is the clay fraction and a little organic matter. It could takes days or even weeks for the water to become clear again and all the clay to settle, so it's best to just compare your second two marks with the original mark to see your percentages of soil particles.
Adapted from Gardening When It Counts: Growing Food In Hard Times by Steve Solomon
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