214 WHEAT SOILS OF THE ALEXANDRIA 1)1\LSI()X. 



is generally used in this district, Init not un the soil re])resented 

 l)y the sample. Mealies and barley are grown, the former being 

 the more successful. The lands from which the sample was taken 

 have been ploughed three times per annum during the last five 

 years, and straw was thrown on the land about three years 

 before the soil was sampled. With that exception the lands have 

 received no addition during the previous 26 years. 



No. 16 was a virgin soil from a hillside in the neighbour- 

 hood of No. 15, and in other respects typical of the same class 

 of soil as the latter. 



No. 17, a cultivated hillside soil, was taken from the farm 

 '' Brakfontein," of Mr. C. K. Scheepers, situated about 10 miles 

 from the coast, and approximately 200 feet above sea-level. The 

 rainfall is about the same as at the last-mentioned farm. The 

 country is, for the most part, flat with occasional slight undula- 

 tions. The soil is slate-coloured and sandy to a depth of from 

 6 to 15 inches, below which is a clay, generally about 6 feet deep. 

 Sour grasses grow on the land, the trees in the valleys and on 

 the hills being of the same character as those in the Crown 

 Forests. Patches of mimosas likewise occur, and a shrub locally 

 known as monkey apple, or " tol bos" (Roycna pubcscens), 

 from 2 to 10 feet high, predominates in the open veld. There 

 are indications of brack on the lands, as, in fact, the name of the 

 farm indicates, and all the water on the farm is of a brackish 

 nature. ( luano, superphosphate and basic slag are generally used 

 in the district, but the land whence the sample was taken had 

 never been manured, nor had it received any other treatment 

 (luring the last five years, although oats, barley, maize and rape 

 had been grown on it. 



No, 18 was a virgin hillside soil, identical in all (^her re- 

 spects with No. 17. 



No. 19 represents a cultivated unmanured valley soil, and 

 was collected on Mr. j. F. Coltman's farm, " Wycombe Vale," 

 about nine miles from the coast, and approximately 300 feet 

 above sea-level. The nature of the surrounding country is hilly, 

 and the soil consists of reddish sand, which persists to an un- 

 ascertained depth. The veld is sweet. Guano is generally used 

 as a fertiliser in the district. The soil originally grew barley and 

 corn, but is at present said to be fit only for the production of 

 oathay on account of deterioration. The soil has not received 

 any treatment during the last five years. 



No. 20 was a virgin soil from the same farm, and similar 

 m all other respects to No. 19. 



In no case had any of the above lands ever been under irri- 

 gation, and, with the exception of Mr. C. K. Scheei-)ers' farm, 

 alkali salts had not been perceived on any of the soils sampled. 



Physical Comtosition' of tiif Soil. 



Mechanical analyses were made of all the soils above de- 

 scribed, following the method described on pages 7 and 193 to 

 195 of my Agricultural Soils of Cape Colony. The results ob- 

 tained are given in the following table : — 



