538 J. w. BEWs. 



The first essential requirement of this tree is plenty of 

 moisture. The low veld region is too dry for it. It also 

 demands a deep and porous soil. The presence of iron salts 

 and the absence of lime are points that favour it. 'J'he 

 climate and soil of the high veld region suit all its require- 

 ments. It grows best in the "mist belts/' and the deeper 

 the soil the better. Such soils are usually very poor chemi- 

 cally, but their mechanical properties, as already mentioned, 

 are good. They are never entirely dry as in the case of 

 the much richer soils of the '•' mealie country " in the low 

 veld. 



The soil is ploughed and pulverised, and the seeds are 

 specially prepared before being sown. If sown in the 

 ordinary way they may lie for years without germinnting. 

 The seeds of the Acacia spp. of the thorn veld germinate 

 after being scorched by the grass fii'es. The seeds of Acacia 

 mollissima are made to undergo an equivalent process. 

 They are soaked in boiling water. Usually the method 

 pursued is to pour boiling water over them which is left to 

 cool gradually and soak into the seeds for a day or so. 

 Older seeds may require to be treated a second oi- even a 

 third time with boiling water. If the seeds are sufficiently 

 soaked they germinate in about two weeks; if they are not, 

 they germinate irregularly for two or three years. 



The seeds are sown either broadcast or in lines. Occasion- 

 ally mealies are sown at the same time, but generally speaking- 

 good Avattle soil does not cany mealies. At the end of a few 

 months, when about one foot high, they are thinned to single 

 stems. 



If unbroken veld has been planted with wattle, there are 

 few weeds, but if soil that has previously been cultivated 

 (Kafir gardens, etc.) is planted there is usually a great 

 variety of weeds. Bidens pilosa, Senecio juniperina 

 (mkanga), Physalis peruviana, Nicandra physaloides 

 are most frequent, but any of the other common weeds occur 

 (see above under '^ Weeds of Cultivated Land'^). Bidens 

 pilosa is more abundant than all the rest put together. 



J 



