:i4() .loFRXAL OF THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



practically limited to a kiiowledge of the maniirial treatment which 

 would be immediately beneficial. 



'). Let us now consider the complete analysis given on page 2, 

 iiiid endeavour to learn what the figures teach us about the soil : — 



(a) The percentage of stones is low and can have no effect, 

 good or bad. 



(h) The percentage of water retained is fair. The soil 

 probably retains water reasonably well. 



(c) The percentage of organic matter is good for a South 

 African soil. (It must be noted that in this case the loss on 

 ignition includes only a very small amount of carbon dioxide 

 since the percentage of calcium carbonate is so small.) 



(d) The percentage of insoluble matter is low while that of 

 iron oxide and alumina is high. The conclusion drawn from this 

 is that the soil is heavy. 



(e) The percentage of lime is low and is lower than that of 

 magnesia. The excess of magnesia over lime is, however, 

 probably too small to have any effect. The percentage of calcium 

 carbonate is very low. The soil may he sour or acid or if not al 

 ])resent acid may easily become so under cultivation. The 

 general conclusion is that the application of lime would be bene- 

 ficial, if not immediately, in the long run. 



(/) The total percentage of potash is probably adequate. 

 The amount of "available" potash is near the border line. In 

 all probability the soil does not stand in need of potash manuring 

 :nid the application of such manures will be unprofitable. 



(,g) The soil is woefully deficient in phosphoric oxide, more 

 particularly in immediately available phosphoric oxide. Further, 

 owing to the high percentage of iron oxide and alumina and the 

 low percentage of lime and magnesia, it is probable that most of 

 ihe phosphoric oxide present is locked up in a form of combina- 

 lioii which will prevent it from becoming available in the future. 



(h) The percentage of nitrogen would l)e considered to be 

 barely adequate in Europe. Under South African conditions 

 this soil would bear *two or three crops without the application 

 of nitrogenous manures, but thereafter the store of nitrogen would 

 have to be replenished. 



To summarize the information obtained about this soil from a 

 consideration of the chemical analysis, we have: — 



1. The soil is not stony. 



2. The soil holds moisture fairly well. 



3. The soil contains a good amount of organic matter. 



4. It is probably heavy. 



5. The application of lime will probably be beneficial. 



6. Potash manures will probably have no effect. 



7. Good increases should be obtained by the use of suitable 



phosphatic manures. 



8. The soil does not stand in immediate need of nitrogenou'^ 



manuring but is not inexhaustible in this respect. 



