PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS — SUCTION B. 2/ 



the farmer in his selection of manures; in a new country the advantages 

 would be even more apparent, as the areas appropriate to particular crops 

 would be indicated." 



1 have referred above to the conservative tendency which 

 appears to characterize the farmer in all countries, and have even 

 ventured to draw a comparison between the farmer and the 

 metallurgist. I trust that my later remarks will have made 

 apparent the real difficulty which has to be faced by the chemist 

 when trying to advise the farmer — the lack of established soil 

 t\ pes. 



A verv interesting illustration of how the problem has been 

 faced in the past is afforded by an article by Mr. John Muller 

 in that valuable periodical the Cape Agricultural Journal, 

 February, 1909. 



Mr. Muller was called upon to investigate the cause and 

 suggest a remedy for the yellowing of citrus trees in a well-known 

 orchard at Blauwkrans. The Government entomologist had sug- 

 gested that the cause of the trouble was gradual impoverishment 

 of the soil. Accordingly Mr. Muller undertook a most thorough 

 inquiry into the chemical composition of the soil and subsoil, 

 and also of yellow and green orange leaves. Then, from known 

 data regarding chemical composition of the fruit and the weight 

 annually removed, he arrived at an estimate of the proportions 

 of different fertilizers which should be returned to the soil in 

 order to restore the balance required for healthy growth. The 

 owner of the citrus grove was thus, at the country's expense, 

 placed in possession of information which, as far as I can gather, 

 has been of service to the citrus plantation. The point which I 

 wish to emphasize is that the labour entailed in this particular 

 instance was very great, greater, perhaps, than was justified in the 

 case of one particular orchard, unless the results could be corre- 

 lated and applied on an organized plan to other orchards as well 

 While advocating the need of further investigation of the 

 soils of this country, 1 feel that there is occasion to utter a protest 

 against the laboratory conditions under which the Government 

 analysts work in South Africa. I have personal knowledge of 

 three of these laboratories in important centres, and I have no 

 hesitation in condemning all three of them. The Pretoria labora- 

 tory is a wood and iron structure, the Cape Town laboratory is 

 badly lit and badly ventilated,* the Grahamstown laboratory is an 

 adapted school-building. Not one of them is suited to the re- 

 quirements of a modern laboratory for agricultural research and, 

 such as they are, the work of soil analysis is crowded into corners. 

 The Union of South Africa is acting in the matter of accom- 

 modation for its analytical work like a man who builds a magnifi- 

 cent front to his house, with ornamental furniture of costly 

 description, while his kitchen is a lean-to under corrugated iron, 

 alternately too hot and too cold, draughty, dusty and uncomfort- 

 able ! 



There is at present noticeable in many districts of South 

 Africa a great revival of prosperity among our farmers, and no 



