Soil test, Part 3

The sand I got from Lowe's seems to have clay in it.  With that in mind, and in running the previous two soil tests, which revealed nothing, I am going to try a soil test on the purchased "sand".  A review of the test's instructions revealed no error on my part.  The testing phase is underway with a result due by next morning.  Let's see what happens this time.

With respect to this "sand", the water seems to go through it pretty well.  However, on the water filtration tests, it seemed to back up while leaving a pond on top.  That's not what I expected.  In fact, that is more like clay.  If there's no evidence of clay here, I'm going to be surprised.

On another note, and in keeping with this main idea of clay, I decided to discontinue the seed germination effort on the first soil sample gathered in June.   I had also used the same sample sand as in the water filtration experiment as in the original soil test.  That soil test revealed no clay.  No seed germination came of it, and besides, if it was mesquite, then fuggedaboutit.   Don't need no mesquite bushes around here, thank you very much.  The "sand" has dried out in the meantime and has left a brick like shape as I took it out of its container.  It was fairly hard, but it did crumble up.  Not exactly like brick, but not exactly like sand either.  I figured that June sample was all sand, but it did dry up into a brick like structure.

I'm left wondering what exactly am I working with?  Do my previous two soil samples differ from each other at all, and if not, why not?  They sure acted differently in the water filtration experiments.

I do have the second filtration "sand" sample taken in July from out west.  It's still drying out, and I'm expecting a harder brick like outcome.  If it is the same as with the June sample, I'm going to be stumped.  For in the water filtration experiment with this July sample, the water did not drain hardly at all.  Clay will not drain, sand will drain.  At least that is what I thought.

Hopefully, there is an explanation that will clear up the confusion.

Update:

The soil test did not show clay, which is confusing to say the least.  Okay, but it did show clear water on top, which means good news for the filtration testing ahead.  As for that, I am going to build an apparatus out of wood taken from a pallet.  The only thing I'll have to buy are some nails.  Perhaps I can do this next weekend.