Soil additive composition containing hydrolyzed graft polymer

Claim 1

A CLAY-CONTAINING SOIL MIXED WITH A SUFFICIENT AMOUNT OF A SOIL TO PREVENT PUDDING WHEN WET AND CRACKING WHEN DRY, SAID SOIL ADDITIVE COMPRISING A FIBROUS CELULOSIC MATERIAL HAVING A PARTIALLY HYROLYZED POLYMER DEPOSITED WITHIN THE FIBERS THEREOF, SAID POLYMER-DEPOSITED CELLULOSIC MATERIAL BEING PREPARED BY (A) CHEMICALLY FIXING A MATERIAL ADAPTED TO PROVIDE AT LEAST PART OF A CATALYST FOR EFFECTING POLYMERIZATION OF AN OLEFINICALLY UNSATURATED MONOMER WITHIN A CELLULOSIC MATERIAL BY ION-EXCHANGE REACTION WITH AT LEAST PART OF THE ION-EXCHANGING GROUPS THEREIN, (B) TREATING SAID CELLULOSIC MATERIAL AND CHEMICALLY FIXED MATERIAL, IN ANY ORDER, WITH AN ACRYLIC MONOMER AND WITH ANYTHING ADDITIONAL REQUIRED TO RENDER SAID CHEMICALLY FIXED MATERIAL CATALYTICALLY ACTIVE TO POLYMERIZE SAID MONOMER AND DEPOSIT AN ACRYLIC POLYMER AS A GUEST POLYMER WITHIN THE CELLULOSIC MATERIAL, AND (C) HYDROLYZING AT LEAST A PART OF THE HYDROLYZABLE FUNCTIONAL GROUPS IN THE DEPOSITED ACRYLIC POLYMER BY TREATMENT WITH AN AQUEOUS SOLUTION OF A BASE SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF ALKALI METAL HYDROXIDES AND QUATERNARY AMMONIUM HYDROXIDES.