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as an absorbing medium, just as a lamp-wick does; the fluid in both cases passing up through the small spaces. The smaller the particles, and consequently the closer they are, the more effectively the water rises, just as in a glass-tube of very fine bore it rises better than in a larger tube. Tramping down the soil after planting small seeds presses the soil-particles together, and induces an upward flow of moisture that enables them to sprout. When the surface particles are compacted by sun-baking into a crust after the summer rains, the moisture easily passes into the air and is lost to the soil and the plant roots. On the other hand, breaking up this crust by cultivation forms a soil-mulch, whose larger spaces interfere with capillary action and prevent loss of moisture The so-called dry-farming of the semi-arid region is based on this principle, repeated cultivation being resorted to in order to conserve the moisture.
Cap'itoline Hill, one of the seven hills of ancient Rome. It was consecrated to Jupiter, and on it stood a temple of Jupiter, called the Capitol, and also the citadel. The foundations were laid by Tarquinius Priscus, one of the early Roman kings; but the building was not completed until the expulsion of the kings. It was three times burned and successively restored. In it were three shrines, to Jupiter, Juno and Minerva. At the porch of the temple the people were feasted on great occasions. Here were kept the important public documents. Other temples were built later on the hill to Mars, Venus, Fortune, etc. A library and other public buildings were also erected on the hill. At the south end was the Tarpeian Rock, down which state criminals were thrown headlong. In modern times the top of the Capitoline Hill forms what is known as the Piazza del Campidoglio, surrounded on three sides by palaces. A broad flight of steps leads up to the piazza, upon which are numerous statues. In the palaces are many objects of interest: statues, busts, galleries of pictures; the famous Bronze Wolf; a tomb on which are bas-reliefs telling the story of Achilles; and the well-known statues of the Dying Gladiator, the Antinous of the Capitol and the Faun of Praxiteles. In the hall of illustrious men are 93 busts of notable Greeks and Romans, and in the hall of the emperors is a series of 83 busts of emperors and empresses. The famous Venus of the Capitol is preserved in a cabinet, not open on public days.
Capri. See GARIBALDI.
Caprivi (ka-pre've}, Count Georg Leo von, German general, statesman and chancellor (1890-94), was born in 1831 and died February 6, 1899. Entering the army in his 18th year, he won rapid promotion, and served with distinction in the campaigns of 1864 and 1866. In 1883 he was
given command of the 3©th division of the imperial army at Metz, and for a time was also at the head of the German admiralty and reorganized the navy. He was subsequently given command of the loth or Hanoverian army corps, the finest in the German army. In 1890, on the fall of Bismarck, Emperor William made him his new chancellor and minister for foreign affairs. In October, 1894, owing to friction with Count Eulenberg over the agrarian malcontents, he resigned office, Prince Hohenlohe succeeding to the chancellorship.
Cap'sule, in botany a dry fruit composed of more than one carpel, which splits open to discharge its seeds. See FRUIT.
Capua (ka'pu-a), a fortified city in Campania, Italy, on the River Volturno, 27 miles north of Naples. Ancient Capua was about three miles distant from the present city. It probably was founded by the Etruscans as early as 800 B. C. It fell under the sway of the Samnites and, later, of the Romans. After the battle of Cannae it deserted to Hannibal, after whose defeat the city suffered severely. Capua was formerly a luxurious city, and was noted for its gladiatorial shows. It was from the school of gladiators here that Spartacus, with 70 companions, broke forth and organized the insurrection of the slaves. The city was overrun by the Vandals in 456 A. D., and finally destroyed .by the Saracens about 840. A few years later, the inhabitants returned and built the present city. There still remain the ruins of an amphitheater capable of holding 60,000 people.
Capuchins (kap'u-chinz), a mendicant order of Franciscan monks, founded in 1528; they derive their name from the cowl or stuff-cap (caputium) they wear. They live chiefly by begging, and go about barefooted, unshaven and generally garbed in brown or gray. The order is most numerous in Austria, and is not unknown in the United States.
Caracam(&d-rd'&ds), the capital of the republic of Venezuela and of the federal district, is six miles from La Guaira, its port on the Caribbean Sea. Built on the slope of the Avila (8,635 feet), it is 3,025 feet above the tide-level, and from its elevation it has an enjoyable climate. There are numerous public parks and gardens and handsome promenades. The most notable buildings are the federal palaces, the president's Yellow House, the university, whose library of 30,000 volumes is open to the public; the exhibition palace, the cathedral and the splendid basilica of St. Ann. Besides the university, there are various colleges and technical schools. There a^e many newspapers. Caracas is the terminus of four railroads. Its chief export is coffee.
