80 Journal of the Department of Agriculture. 



Limestone Resources of the Union. 



Attention is directed to a report* submitted by the Director of the 

 Geological Survey on the limestones of the Transvaal and part of 

 Bechuanaland and Natal. This is the first part of the survey ; the 

 work is still in progress, and a report on the limestones of the rest of 

 the Union will be issued at a later date. The introduction to the 

 above report states : " Among the foremost essentials of any industrial 

 community is a good supply of limestone, conveniently situated, and 

 of suitable quality, and the present investigation has been undertaken 

 with a view to ascertaining to what extent and in what localities a 

 supply of limestone is available suited to the various requirements of 

 modern industry." The uses of limestone are many, one of them belug- 

 as a fertilizer for agricultural purposes, and the report deals with the 

 origin and distribution of limestones, and gives full particulars of the 

 locality, character of the deposit and of the limestone found in that 

 part of the Union investigated thus far, so that the purchaser and 

 user of limestone will find information as to the localities in which 

 suitable material may be found. Many of these deposits (of secondary 

 limestone) scattered over the country may ultimately be of considerable 

 importance for local agriculture as sources of agricultural lime. 

 Special reference is made to the deposits of lime suitable for agricul- 

 tural purposes found at the following localities : — 



Umzimkulu, Natal (used by sugar planters). 



Northern Waterberg : Farms Zwartberg No. 1037, Welvaart 



No. 1194, Van Wijksfontein No. 1195. 

 Pietersburg : Farm Vaalboschlaagte No. 614. 

 Potchefstroom : Farms Roodepoort No. 22, i^landskuil No. 110. 

 Marico : Farms Paardevallei No. 62, Weltevreden No. 61, 



Kruis Eiver No. 154, Kalkfontein No. 60, Vergenoegd 



No. 3, Uitvlucht No. 63, Kaalplaats No. 97, Buffelshoek 



No. 284. 

 Christiana: Bessieslaagte No. 23 (Nooitgedacht). 

 Lydenburg : Kalkfontein No. 1488. 

 Bechuanaland : Laxey, on the Mashowing Eiver, Gamolilio. 



In connection with the use of lime for agricultural purposes the 

 report states: "It is probable that the supply of lime .... 

 may ultimately take the first place from the broad point of view of 

 national importance," and, further on: "The great increase in 

 fertility which generally follows upon the application of dressings of 

 lime in such cases has often been pointed out. Over the greater part 

 of the well watered areas of South Africa the soil is extremely deficient 

 in lime, especially in the eastern portion, and when the fact is realized 

 by the farmers themselves, there can be no doubt that a very large 

 demand for agricultural lime will arise, if it can be supi)]ied at a 

 sufiiciently reasonable price." 



The chief object for using lime agriculturally is to neutralize the 

 acid in the soil ; also, it loosens and improves the texture of heavy 

 clay soils and consolidates excessively light and sandy soils. The 



* " The Limestone Resources of the Union." Vol. L— "The Limestones of the Transvaal 

 and portions of Bechuanaland and Zululand," by W. Wybergh, with a Chapter on the 

 Deposits of Port Shepstone and Hermansburg, Natal, by A. L. du Toit, D.Sc, F.G.S. 

 Geologist). (Price 5s., Government Printer, Pretoria.) 



