16 MINUTES OF EVIDENCE TAKEN BEFORE THE SELECT 



nr.j.c. Brown, question if it would have much effect in preventing rust. 



Aug. 21, U65. But lime, as a manure, is much required in this Colony ; and 

 I fear we are pursuing a suicidal policy in exporting quan- 

 tities of bones from this Colony, where both the lime and 

 the phosphorus in the bone are so much wanted for agri- 

 cultural purposes. In Europe they know the value of these 

 substances, and therefore they hold out the bribe of a high 

 price to induce us to export them. It would be far better 

 if they were kept and used here. 



80. Chairman.] In a dry climate like this, what soil is 

 best suited for wheat ? Sandy soil, on the whole. 



86. Mr. Cock.} A great deal of the soil in the Eastern 

 Province will not bear manure, being rank and strong. Are 

 you aware of this ? I am now aware of it. 



87. Then do you not consider it would be a great advan- 

 tage if you had an opportunity of travelling and coming into 

 communication with the farmers in various parts of the 

 Colony ? Very great. I have traversed some parts of the 

 Colony at my own expense, I proceed to-morrow on a similar 

 professional tour, and arrangements have been made for con- 

 ferences being held with agriculturists in villages on my 

 route, and at farms in central positions. At such conferences 

 I have received a great deal of information calculated to be 

 useful in other districts, and have, I believe, supplied infor- 

 mation deemed valuable by those who attended the confer- 

 ences in question. The only difficulty is the want of 

 pecuniary means, the whole of the expenses of such journeys 

 having to be made from my own resources. I have, how- 

 ever, no reason to complain, as I was distinctly informed 

 before leaving England what the terms of the engagement 

 were. In illustration of the importance of such tours through 

 the Colony, I may state that my time has been occupied 

 constantly with correspondence arising out of my tour of 

 1863, but the whole of the letters I received came from those 

 parts of the country through which that tour led me. From 

 other parts I have scarcely had a single letter, showing by 

 contrast the effect of such communication with the farmers. 



88. Chairman} Can you analyse earth yourself, or do 

 you know anybody else in the Colony that can do so? I 

 could in five minutes put any farmer upon a simple plan of 

 analysing earth so far as he requires to analyse it ; and there 

 are in Cape Town, Graham's Town, the Knysna, and pro- 



