vapor-tension

“We are not entitled to expect to find dew on the surface of roads as on the surface of grass. because stones are good conductors of heat, and, the vapor-tension being higher underneath than above the stones, the result is, the rising vapor gets condensed on the under sides of the stones.”

Scientific American Supplement, No. 530, February 27, 1886

“Water injector Sprengel (see Fig. 38, c) pump, or Geryk's pump (an air pump on the hydraulic principle, sealed by means of low vapor-tension oil, Fig. 35).”

The Elements of Bacteriological Technique A Laboratory Guide for Medical, Dental, and Technical Students. Second Edition Rewritten and Enlarged.

“Under these conditions vapor will rise from the ground so long as the vapor-tension on the surface of the ground is higher than that at the top of the grass, and much of this rising vapor is, under ordinary conditions, carried away by the passing air, and mixed with a large amount of drier air, whereas the vapor rising under the trays is not so diluted; and hence, though only cooled to the same amount as the air outside, it yields a heavier deposit of dew.”

Scientific American Supplement, No. 530, February 27, 1886