Eepokt of tiik Departmlkt o¥ Agkk'ultuke. 555 



Extracts from the reports of the Division's Officers in charge 

 AT Capetown, Giujoteontein, and Pretoria. 



1. — Copetoicu : Chief of the Division. 



(a) Anali/tical Wnr/,. — Duriiip- the year 477 samples of various 

 kinds were analysed. Of these, the analyses of salt, brine, bittern, 

 etc., were performed foi' the purpose of a g-eneral survey of the salt- 

 pans of the Fnion ; and an investi^'ation into the nicotine-content of 

 various ty])es and qualities of tobacco o^rown in the Union was under- 

 taken in connection Avith Uw i)r()duction of a satisfactory tobacco 

 extract. An analysis of ash from tobacco stems yielded 17'8 per cent, 

 of potash. 



With the exception of seventeen samples of o-uano and a few 

 analyses of limestone, ])ractically all the fertilizers analysed were in 

 connection with the Fertilizers, Farm Foods, and Pest Remedies Act. 



As usual several analyses of Government o-uano were made, and 

 a series of comparative analyses of the produce of the different islands 

 are also in jjrogress. Limestone from Saldanha Bay crushed for use 

 as ag-ricultural lime was found t(j contain 36"3 per cent, of carbon 

 dioxide, correspondino' to 82'5 per cent, of calcium carbonate. Some 

 limestones and supposed phosphatic deposits from Dassen Island were 

 examined, but the results were not promisinp-. 



A special rei)ort on the subject of the change in the composition 

 of basic slap- was furnished, also one on the alleged poisonous character 

 o'f basic slag and other fertilizers. 



An investigation was commenced, and is being continued, in 

 regard to the relatijn lietween the degree of ripeness of gra])es and 

 their sugar-content to their suitability for export. 



A restricted amount only of soil investig-ation could be carried 

 out. A sandy soil from tlie Caledon District was examined and found 

 to be, as such soils usually are, indifferently supplied with humus, low 

 in moisture-retaining' power, and poor in plant-food. Two samples of 

 virgin sandy loams from Klipheuvel were also deficient in organic 

 matter, nitrogen, and water-retaining power as well as in organic 

 plant-food. Some soils from a farm at De Dooms proved to be rather 

 brak, containing about '25 per cent, of sodium salts. A similar pro- 

 portion was found in one out of three sjils obtained from a farm in 

 the irrigable area of the Olifants River, Van Rhynsdorp. A very 

 brak so'l from Middelburg, Transvaal, was examined. It contained 

 "56 per cent, of sodium salts. A deep virgin soil of good humus- 

 content, rich in nitrogen and with a satisfactf)ry moisture-retaining 

 power was rec.'ived from the C-eres District, but its supply of inorg-anic 

 ])lani-f jod could only be described as moderate. Ten soils from the 

 Cradock Division were examined in connection with the construction 

 of an irrigation dam. 



The occurrence of collai-rot in citrus trees in the Clanwilliam 

 District led to an examination of the .s'oil for brak salts and acidity. 

 In neither respect was the salt in any way at fault. The use of liquid 

 hydrocyanic acid for the destruction of ])ests on fruit trees led to an 

 investigation of the charactei' of the li(|ui(l commercially applied for 

 the purpose and the mode of its manufacture. 



