In a field experiment on a weakly structured, almost stone-free loamy sand, the depths of leaching of chloride and nitrate were measured after sprinkler irrigation at 8 mm/h. The modal depth of movement of the two ions was about half the mean depth of movement, indicating a highly skewed distribution and a pronounced leading tail of chloride and nitrate. The marked asymmetry of the salt distribution is attributed to uneven downward movement of water, including movement down earthworm channels, which results in part of the nitrate and chloride being deeply leached. I Present address : Hudeiba Research Station, Ed Damer, Democratic Republic of the Sudan.