36 PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS. — SECTION II. 



bush, as it is called, which is supposed to indicate a soil deficient 

 in lime, and accordingly unsuited for fruit culture. Other in- 

 digenous herbs there are which characterise a soil capable of jdelding 

 good returns under cultivation. Our task is therefore to find out 

 the meaning of the language wherewith the indigenous herbage 

 indicates to us the characters of the different soils. For the most 

 part this language is written in hieroglyphics which it is our first 

 and foremost function to decipher. Now this important study 

 may be neglected, but, like the Sibylline books, the longer we 

 delay the more dearly shall we purchase wisdom in the end. and 

 it will become practically impossible to carry out the study at all 

 when once cultivated fields replace all the indigenous vegetation. 

 The opportunity still exists ; the virgin lands of the South African 

 Union are to a large extent yet in possession of their natural flora, 

 and no one has been more earnest than Professor E. W. Hilgard 

 in pleading that in his country at least steps should be taken to 

 ascertain this information ere the possibility of procuring it passes 

 out of reach for ever. Dr. Hilgard emphasises the desirability, 

 not only of collecting such information, but also of mapping the 

 data thus procured as speedily as possible. He says : — * 



" Since the object of soil surveys is essentially practical — is to enable us 

 either to generalise from the experience had on other lands, or to predict 

 the agricultural qualities of new lands — the prima facie evidence of the 

 natural vegetation, which results from the secular co-adaptation of soils and 

 plants under given climatic conditions, is manifestly of first importance. 

 It is almost self-evident that whenever we shall learn to interpret correctly 

 and accurately the meaning, from the farmer's standpoint, of the indications 

 given by the local floras and sylvas, we shall be able to deduce from them, 

 nieasurably, the same results we now gather from long agricultural experience, 

 or from culture tests with fertilisers. It is also evident that in countries 

 long settled and under cultivation, these iinportant factors become obscured 

 and more or less unavailable, by the modification or disappearance of the 

 original vegetation under the disturbing influence of human agencies. It 

 is, then, doubly important that the original state of things should be put on 

 record as quickly as possible ; and this I consider to be, in all cases, the 

 first step to be taken in constructing the soil map of a State. Such a 

 judiciously constructed botanical map is, in many cases, quite sufficient to 

 indicate summarily the agricultural capabilities of extensive regions." 



Failing the natural vegetation of which Dr. Hilgard speaks, w^e 

 have, as I said before, the success or non-success of cultivated 

 crops and orchards to guide us, and the information to be sought 

 with regard to these last is so very obvious that I do not wish to 

 insult your intelligence by dwelling on it. 



But a soil survey should not stop short with a botanical map, 

 important though the information may be that it affords. Let 

 us have our botanical map, but let it be supplemented, with the 

 least possible delay, by a physical soil map, noting all along the 

 line the correlation between the two ; and either concurrently, or 

 soon after, should come the chemical investigation of the soil. 

 The physics and chemistry of the soil, and more especially the 

 latter, should in their turn be correlated with the geological survey 

 of the country, which, if it has preceded the agricultural soil survey, 

 will be found of immense value and assistance to the latter. 



* " Soil studies and soil maps " ; in the " Overland Monthlv " for Deer., 

 i8qi. 



