2^S iSUTKS (>i\ THE CIIEMISTRV OF THE !nARAS. 



than in the case of most agricuUural soils, except with regard to 

 nitrogen, of which the ! Naras soils contain only traces. The 

 plant, however, does not seem to mind this deficiency. Does it 

 get its nitrogen directly froni the air? 



We see. thus, that the nnsnitahle soils are little, if at all, 

 inferior to the others — in fact. the\' have considerably more 

 nitrogen. It is when we come to look at the figures for chlorine 

 and soluble salts — the injuriotts constituents — that a marked 

 difference is seen. It is evident that the inferiority of the B 

 series of soils is due entirely to their containing a very large 

 amount of injurious salts, mostly common salt. It is absurd 

 to expect any i)]ant to grow in a soil containing from 2 to ii 

 per cent, of common salt. This appears to be the condition of 

 all the soils within three miles of the coast. 



<Jf the other soils examined, that from tlie Namieb Desert 

 is a most imusual type of soil — if soil it can be called— consist- 

 ing mostly of gypsum and fragments of (juartz, and containing 

 very little of the ustial constituents of soil, namely, clay and sand, 

 information is not available as to whether it is representative 

 of any large extent of country. In any case it has not much 

 l)earing on the (|uestion of ! Naras cultivation. 



Both this soil and the other sampled north of the Kuisip 

 River were found to contain about . 5 per cent, of common salt, 

 and these soils are thus unlikely to be suitable for any agricul- 

 tural purposes. 



So we see that the INaras plant does not i)ossess the mar- 

 vellous ]jowers attributed to it, namely, of being able practically 

 to " live on air." It has a sufficiency of water and an excellent 

 stipply of plant foods, produced in the disintegration of pltitonic 

 rocks and crystalline schists, which occur very extensivel\ on 

 the west coast of South Africa. If it could be ascertained that 

 at the other localities where the ! Naras occurs, soils similar to 

 those of the Kuisip River are found, the question of the possiblity 

 of cultivating the i)lant in other desert localities would l)e de- 

 finitely settled. It will most likely prove impossible of culti- 

 vation elsewhere than in localities where conditions with regard 

 to water, soil, and climate are similar to those at Walfish Bay. 



Southern Stars. — Scientific research in South Africa 

 has hitherto achieved comparatively little; it is of recent date; 

 and in ver\' few branches of science has there been any research 

 worthy the name. To such statements the science of astronomy 

 ofi'ers a notable exce]:»tion. We mention the name of 

 Lacaille, and at once our thoughts go back more than a century 

 and a half. Since Lacaille's day much has been accomplished 

 astronomically in South Africa, and occasionally the southern 

 observers have set the pace for their confreres oversea. But 

 we need more observers, and the best way of securing them is 

 — as in other sciences — to get them interested in the study from 



