A laboratory investigation was conducted for capillary water rise in,and evaporation from two and three layered soil columns in the presence of a water table.It was shown from experimental results that the evaporation rate from the two layered system of clayey soil overlying a sandy soil was a maxium,as the layered soil interface was situated near the top of capillary fringe of the lower soil;but that the rate from the three layered system of a thin clayey layer laid between two sandy soil layers was a minimum,as the thin clayey layer was situated at a elevation,approximately equal to the height of capillary fringe of the lower sandy soil layer;and that the effect of the lower sandy soil,the thickness of which is not beyond its capillary fringe zone,of the two layered system on the evaporation rate was relatively small,provided the depth of soil column to the water table was less than the height of capillary fringe of the upper clayey soil.Evidently,all of these phenomena observed must be considered for adequately determining the depth of ground water table to avoid soil salinity.