212 WHEAT SOILS OF THK ALliXANDRIA Dl'viSJiiN. 



its physical nature is clayey with a gravelly subsoil. The indi- 

 genous herbage here consists of rooi gras and blauzu gras, the 

 common grasses of " sour veld." Wheat, barley, and oats are 

 all said to have been successfully grown years ago. The soil 

 has been well ploughed and cultivated during the last five years. 

 and was treated with superphosphates (containing 13 per cent, 

 of phosphorus pentoxide) in August, 1913. 



No. 4 was a \irgin soil taken within a few yards of the 

 cultivated soil whereof No. 3 was a sample. 



No. 5 represented a cultivated but unmanured vallev soil 

 from the farm " Dekselfontein," of Mr. J. J. van Rooyen, distant 

 seven miles from the sea, and roughly 100 feet above sea-level. 

 As in the previous cases, the ap]jroximate annual rainfall for 

 the area is taken as 25 inches. The country is level, and the 

 soil is a brown to white sandy loam. 2 feet deep, with a grey 

 sand subsoil of uncertain depth below. The natural vegetation 

 is a mixture of sour and sweet herbage. Kraal manure and 

 some guano are generally used in these parts in order to fer- 

 tilise the lands, but the particular soil represented by No. 5. as 

 above stated, has never been manured. During the last five 

 years this soil has been cultivated every year, and planted in 

 alternate years with maize and barley. The most successful 

 crop has proved to be barley, and next in order maize, and then 

 oats. 



No. 6 was a virgin soil in other respects similar to No. 5. 



No. 7 was a cultivated unmanured valley soil from Mr. F. 

 H. Collin's farm, " Lange Vlakte," situated approximately 2j4 

 miles from the sea. and at about 400 feet above sea-level. The 

 annual rainfall is 30 inches, and the surrounding country is un- 

 dulating. The surface soil is a dark sandy loam varying from 

 3^ feet to a much greater depth, with a subsoil varying between 

 a sandy limestone and a light yellow sand. The natural herbage 

 consists of kzveck gras when not under cultivation, and generally 

 of red grass. Where manures are used in this district kraal 

 manure is generally employed. Wheat, oats, barle}- and maize 

 have been successfully grown on the lands of which No. 7 is a 

 type, wheat becoming less successful each year, although the 

 soil has been subjected to the usual yearly ploughing and harrow- 

 ing during the last five years. 



No. 8 was a virgin valley soil taken from a dift"erent part 

 of the same farm as No. 7, about 450 yards from the latter. 

 The surface soil is a dark sandy loam about 3^ feet deep, with 

 a subsoil below varying like that of No. 7. The surrounding 

 veld is sweet, and the natural herbage consists of red grass and 

 indigenous forest growth. 



No. 9 repre.sents a cultivated but unmanured soil collected 

 from a hillside on the farm " Kruisfontein," of Mr. S. C. van 

 Rooyen, three miles from the coast and about 100 feet above 

 .sea-level. The surrounding country is level, and the annual 

 rainfall is 25 inches. The surface soil is a black, sandy loam. 

 15 inches deep, with a sandy subsoil of unknown depth. The 



