It is generally recognised that the study of arid soils frequently necessitates sampling to a depth of 6 feet or more. The most satisfactory way of doing this is to dig a pit and take samples from a vertical face. This method is obviously unsuitable for the examination of small plots and some kind of boring tool must be used instead. In the tenacious clay soil of this area hand augers have been tried without success, but the mechanical difficulties involved have been largely overcome by use of the apparatus illustrated, which (a) secures a truly vertical bore, (b) resolves the thrust into two components.