Rolling damp silt between your knuckles tells you more about your earthwork schedule than half the preliminary boreholes ever will. Took me two rained-out basements early on to finally trust touch over a PDF.
If it leaves a dark smear in the creases of your palm, you're already past optimum moisture and the roller is just going to pump the whole bed. That quick hand-cast test beats waiting on a gauge reading every single time.
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